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Mayor proposes workshops on eco-friendly idols
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Shubha Raul wants workshops organised at all wards to make Ganesh festival pollution free
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EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
N AN effort to promote eco-friendly Ganesh festival in the city, Mayor Shubha Raul has proposed workshops in all civic wards wherein devotees and interested people will be taught how to make ecofriendly idols. Raul also wants the civic administration to set up artificial lakes and wells for immersion of these idols in each ward.
Although Raul has been promoting ecofriendly’ Ganeshotsav from last year, the appeal has fallen on deaf ears. “Big sarvajanik (public) Ganesh mandals do not agree with eco-friendly idols, but we can start the process through individual households,” she said. In a joint committee meeting held between the civic body and city’s Ganesh mandals coordination committee, idol makers had rejected the suggestion of eco-friendly idols stating that they take more than two months for preparation as against a few days time for Plaster of Paris idols. The mayor said that this workshop will be sponsored by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. “We will tell idol makers to teach people how to make eco-friendly idols, for a fee from those attending this workshop,” she said. The idea behind the workshop is to initiate awareness and promote the concept of eco-friendly idols. “After learning how to make idols, people can install it at their homes during Ganeshotsav. They can collect the soil after immersion and re-make the idol,” Raul said. A citizens’ NGO at Pestom Sagar, Chembur had set up artificial lakes in the society to avoid avoid water pollution and traffic congestion. “This model can be followed across the city. In my ward at Dahisar, we had set up an artificial lake last year and I will direct the civic administration to set up such facilities at all civic wards,” she said. Naresh Dahibaunkar, vice president of BMC sarvajanik ganeshutsav co-ordination committee, welcomed the decision. “It’s a good move by the mayor as there is a need to promote an eco-friendly Ganesh festival. We will tell idol-makers to be a part of the workshop and make eco-friendly idols for the families who want them. But since many idol makers do not have knowledge of making eco-friendly idols, the BMC should also conduct workshops for them,” he said. I N AN effort to promote eco-friendly Ganesh festival in the city, Mayor Shubha Raul has proposed workshops in all civic wards wherein devotees and inter- ested people will be taught how to make eco- friendly idols. Raul also wants the civic ad- ministration to set up artificial lakes and wells for immersion of these idols in each ward. Although Raul has been promoting eco- friendly’ Ganeshotsav from last year, the ap- peal has fallen on deaf ears. “Big sarvajanik (public) Ganesh mandals do not agree with eco-friendly idols, but we can start the process through individual households,” she said. In a joint committee meeting held between the civic body and city’s Ganesh mandals co- ordination committee, idol makers had re- jected the suggestion of eco-friendly idols stating that they take more than two months for preparation as against a few days time for Plaster of Paris idols. The mayor said that this workshop will be sponsored by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. “We will tell idol makers to teach people how to make eco-friendly idols, for a fee from those attending this work- shop,” she said. The idea behind the workshop is to initi- ate awareness and promote the concept of eco-friendly idols. “After learning how to make idols, people can install it at their homes during Ganeshotsav. They can collect the soil after immersion and re-make the idol,” Raul said. A citizens’ NGO at Pestom Sagar, Chembur had set up artificial lakes in the society to avoid avoid water pollution and traffic congestion. “This model can be fol- lowed across the city. In my ward at Dahisar, we had set up an artificial lake last year and I will direct the civic administration to set up such facilities at all civic wards,” she said. Naresh Dahibaunkar, vice president of BMC sarvajanik ganeshutsav co-ordination committee, welcomed the decision. “It’s a good move by the mayor as there is a need to promote an eco-friendly Ganesh festival. We will tell idol-makers to be a part of the work- shop and make eco-friendly idols for the fam- ilies who want them. But since many idol makers do not have knowledge of making eco-friendly idols, the BMC should also con- duct workshops for them,” he said.
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