PANJIM: Dozens of Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) immersed after one and a half days have been washed ashore at the Caranzalem and Colva beach. This problem has surfaced at many other beaches too. This is detrimental to the environment in Goa as there is a strong suspicion that these idols were made of the Plaster of Paris material and are not eco friendly.
Environmentalist Ramesh Gawas when asked for his reactions said that traditionally Ganesh idols were made of clay which was found in the fields. The artisans used to dig and collect the clay from the fields. But now the mining silt is seeping into the fields and it becomes difficult to collect clay to make idols.
The business has to go on, so some artistes maybe using Plaster of Paris to make a fast buck. They use plaster of Paris inside and put mud on the top layer. The main factor to blame is the mining silt. What is the way out? Otherwise the traditional artisans will have to give up their profession, Gawas stated.
When contacted, Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) Chairman Mahesh Patil said, “As per the procedure we will collect the samples, analyse them and hand it over to the authorities concerned like handicraft department and district collector. It is to be investigated what was found and where. Our job is to analyse samples whenever we find something. We collect the samples, try to analyse and inform the concerned authorities.”
