TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: With permanent state-wide ban on plaster of Paris Ganesh idols, government has now decided on further stringent action by canceling the establishment licence of persons found selling or transporting PoP idols into the State.
The District Magistrate, North has through an order issued Wednesday, brought to the notice of the public that sale, manufacture, transportation and use of PoP Ganesh idols including bringing them into the State of Goa is prohibited.
“It is observed that several PoP idols are being brought in from neighboring States for sale in Goa during the annual Ganesh Chaturthi festival,” order stated. This year Ganesh festival is scheduled to begin September 9.
“Any person found manufacturing, transporting, stocking and selling or displaying such idols shall be punishable in terms of Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and their licenses granted to them for the establishments/chitrashallas shall be cancelled and the idols made of PoP shall be confiscated,” the order cautioned.
Environment Minister Alina Saldanha had recently announced that government would seal the borders of the state to ensure that PoP idols are not smuggled into the state during the forthcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Following the ban of PoP idols, the government run handicraft corporation is encouraging eco-friendly Ganesh idols by providing subsidy for idols made from clay.
Plastic of Paris idols are made from hemihydrated calcium sulphate manufactured by calcinations process and as such they do not dissolve or disintegrate easily when immersed in water, thereby causing irreversible environmental effects on the riverine/coastal ecology or the ecosystem of any water body, due to the poisonous chemicals which cause harmful effects to marine/aquatic life which are consumed by human beings.
