Ganesh mandals vow to go green…..Somita Pal
While the BMC is, for the first time, tying up with retailers to sell eco-friendly material for Ganesh decoration, mandals are doing their bit for the environment.
“We have appealed to mandals to keep height of the idols below 16 feet, and for the last four years, most have cooperated,” said Advocate Naresh Dahibawkar, president of Brihanmumbai Ganeshotsav Sammanvay Samiti, an umbrella organisation having over 10,000 mandals under its fold. This year, we have appealed to mandals to immerse idols in artificial lakes.”
“We have also requested the state government to suggest an alternative to plaster of Paris and to hold a workshop soon after the Ganesh festival,” he said.
Dahibawkar said that making appeals for eco-friendly idols just before the festival is no solution as by then most mandals have already placed orders for idols.
No using thermocol
“For the first time, we’re tying up with malls and shopkeepers to sell eco-friendly decoration material. The idea is to encourage people to buy bio-degradable material and avoid using material like thermocol and plastic,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner Dr Kishore Kshirsagar.
“For the first time, we’re tying up with malls and shopkeepers to sell eco-friendly decoration material. The idea is to encourage people to buy bio-degradable material and avoid using material like thermocol and plastic,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner Dr Kishore Kshirsagar.
This year, the BMC will have trucks parked at visarjan sites to collect nirmalayas. “It will be collected and used to generate manure,” said Kshirsagar.
No potholes
The BMC has decided to waive the security deposit of Rs 2,000 collected from each mandal in case setting up of the pandal caused damage to the road.
The BMC has decided to waive the security deposit of Rs 2,000 collected from each mandal in case setting up of the pandal caused damage to the road.
“We will, instead, take an undertaking that they will repair roads if potholes are caused,” said Aseem Gupta, additional municipal commissioner.
According to BMC, most pandals act responsibly and repair roads without any warning.
“We will check if they have repaired the roads or not. We will also ask ward offices to take photographs. If they don’t repair, we will impose heavy penalty and make them repair the road,” said Gupta.
Ganesha to watch over your health
This year, the city’s Ganesh mandals will create awareness on malaria and dengue. Mandal organisers have requested BMC to allow one mandal in each ward to open a malaria diagnosis camp besides putting up informative posters on pandal premises and carrying out door-to-door campaigns in slum areas.
This year, the city’s Ganesh mandals will create awareness on malaria and dengue. Mandal organisers have requested BMC to allow one mandal in each ward to open a malaria diagnosis camp besides putting up informative posters on pandal premises and carrying out door-to-door campaigns in slum areas.