In a bid to promote the creation of eco-friendly clay Ganesh idols, the government has introduced a subsidy scheme to promote the production of clay Ganesh idols, but there are people exploiting this scheme by selling Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols disguised as clay ones. Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar has raised concerns about this issue and called local authorities to investigate and prevent the sale of such idols. “There are people that take advantage of this scheme and sell PoP idols claiming that they’re made of mud or clay, the local authorities such as the collector and mamlatdar should conduct a thorough investigation,” said Kerkar.
Kerkar highlighted the harmful impact of PoP statues, which often resurface in water bodies after idol immersion. He stressed that the gypsum present in PoP is detrimental to the environment, particularly aquatic life and human health when ingested. “Even water treatment plants are affected because of PoP idols, and when this water is consumed by humans and animals there are adverse health effects,” said Kerkar.
He urged people to opt for eco-friendly clay idols instead. “Goddess Parvati is often revered as the embodiment of the earth and is frequently referred to as Mother Earth or Bhumi Devi. Ganpati being Goddess Parvati’s son we should use natural elements like mud to craft his idols,” added Kerkar.
Bablo Gaonkar, an 89-year-old artisan from Vapoi, has been crafting clay idols since he was 16 years old. He emphasized that creating clay idols is an art, while those using PoP are mainly driven by commercial interests. Bablo’s children and grandchildren have carried on his legacy, producing 300 Ganesh idols this year using traditional clay materials. “ Now that I’ve grown older, it’s difficult for me to make these idols but I still help around, my grandchildren have carried on my legacy of creating mud idols”, said Gaonkar.
