Bengaluru: The much awaited Ganesha festival not only brings cheers but also pollute lakes in and around Bengaluru. It is a fact that despite awareness programmes by the authorities concerned, including Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, and also non-governmental organizations NGOs), the menace of unscientific Ganesha idols made of Plaster of Paris continues to haunt the environment-conscious residents of Bengaluru and other major cities across the state. Yet, some efforts are being made to minimize the pollution of water bodies during Ganesha festival.
One of such efforts is – Birth of New Life Ganesha idols – by a group of government school children in Bengaluru. The beauty of these nature-friendly idols is such that once you immerse these idols, it will give birth to a new life! In simple words, the Ganesha idols are created with a seed in it. So, after immersion in a pot, the seed would automatically germinate giving rise to a new plant life! It means zero pollution and 100 per cent environment protection!
This innovative experiment was done at Government High School, Police Colony on Tuesday under the aegis of Art of Giving, Bengaluru chapter. Speaking on the occasion, Kousalya M, a student of 10th standard said: “Of late, our festivals are synonymous with pollution. If Ganesha festival is leading way to water pollution, Diwali is giving raise to sound pollution. So, we were wondering as to how to celebrate our festivals minus pollution. This was when we came up with the idea of natural Ganesha festival. Though saying no to Plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganesha idols has been in the air for a while, it hasn’t been successful, as people still prefer to use it because it is inexpensive and attractive to look at. So, this means that we have to come out with a stronger alternative to convince people of using the nature-friendly Ganesha idols. By now, we were also inspired by KIIT & KISS founder Dr Achyuta Samanta who is a leading personality in advocating nature-friendly measures. So, our research with the Art of Giving team led to new innovation ”birth of new life” Ganesha idols. The concept is simple. We use only clay or naturally occurring materials. While making Ganesha idols, we place a seed; either of Ragi or flower seeds. As natural materials are used, it helps the Ganesha idol to dissolve easily and the seeds inside begin to germinate eventually. As birth of new life is a joyous occasion, the immersion of Ganesha idols is a step towards environment protection.”
For the last few days, the students are busy practicing these nature-friendly Ganesha idols. By now, they have prepared hundreds of Ganesha idols and taking them home. These students are quite excited about the Ganesha festival this year as they would be praying to an idol created by them and also a nature-friendly one as they are leading the way in reducing pollution of water bodies. “We have been openly demonstrating in our school campus as we need to create awareness across Bengaluru asking people to shun the PoP idols and adopt the nature friendly ones. We heartily thank Art of Giving for this wonderful venture,” said craft teacher Manjula G.
Shivu Kumar R, a 10th standard student said the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has already banned the PoP idols this year and has warned of imprisonment and a penalty of Rs 10,000 for those immersing coloured/ PoP idols. “In olden days, the idol of Ganesha used to be made of clay. However, with introduction of new materials like PoP, plastic, cement and paper etc., more and more idols were made out of PoP and toxic paints,” Kumar said.
Another 10th standard student, Sindhu said, “PoP is a calcium sulphate hemi-hydrate (CaSO4, ½ H2O) derived from gypsum. While idols made out of naturally occurring clay dissolve within hours of immersion in water, PoP idols may take anywhere between several months to years to fully dissolve. As a result, it reduces the oxygen level in the water, killing the fish and other aquatic organisms. Added to this, the paints used for decorating the idol contain heavy metals like mercury, chromium and lead. These chemicals in turn affect the water used for drinking from the river where the idols are immersed.”
According to a study by the Central Pollution Control Board in Bengaluru, the acid content in the waters increased when PoP Ganesha idols were immersed. Added to this, the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) increased by a 100 per cent. Sindhu said the dissolved oxygen content increased during the day due to the agitation of waters during immersion and reduced at night when organic discharge increased. “The heavy metal content sampling showed an increase in metals such as iron which increased nearly 10 times and the content of copper in the sediments increased by 200 to 300 per cent. Worse, when chemical paints are used to decorate the idols, these paints contain heavy metals such as mercury and lead, which seep into the water as the idol dissolves. This is a grave insult and denigration of Lord Ganesh. We appeal to every Bengalurean to use only nature friendly Ganesha idols. Today, let us take a vow to protect our water bodies by using only natural Ganesha idols,” Sindhu said.
Art of Giving has been taking up a number of initiatives in Bengaluru towards environment protection. Till date, it has conducted several “waste to wealth” programmes where in the government school kids have been taught how to minimize trash and convert the trash into beautiful objects.
