No plastic bags at Ganpati mandals……Somita Pal
Carry a cotton bag with you when you visit Ganesh pandals this time.
In a bid to make Ganpati festivities eco-friendly, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has laid down guidelines for Ganesh Mandals to ensure that devotees do not make offerings in plastic bags.
“During the festival, a large number of devotees bring their offerings in plastic bags. To discourage this behaviour, we have asked Ganesh mandals to ensure devotees coming to their pandals do not use plastic bags,” said a senior BMC official.
“They should also ideally see to it that shopkeepers selling flowers and prasad in the pandal’s vicinity do not use plastic bags either.”
For their part, the mandals have decided to promote cotton bags.
“We have asked all the mandals to ensure there is no sign of plastic bags in their vicinity. We have also supplied them with cotton bags,” said Naresh Dahibawkar, president of Brihanmumbai Ganeshotsav Sammanvay Samiti, an organisation that heads more than 10,000 Ganesh Mandals in the city.
As per the Maharashtra Non-biodegradable Garbage Control Act, the minimum thickness of plastic carry bags must be 50 microns and their size should be no less than 8×12 inches.
The state government had imposed a ban on plastic bags below 50 microns in 2005 after it was found that they clogged the drains, contributing to the July 2005 floods.
Last December, Mayor Shraddha Jadhav had asked the BMC to ensure the ban is implemented strictly.
Among other green steps, the BMC has tied up with malls and shopkeepers to sell only eco-friendly decoration
material. “The idea behind this tie-up is to encourage people to buy biodegradable things and avoid using thermocol, plastics,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner Dr Kishore Kshirsagar.
material. “The idea behind this tie-up is to encourage people to buy biodegradable things and avoid using thermocol, plastics,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner Dr Kishore Kshirsagar.
Plans to keep trucks at visarjan sites only to collect nirmalayas are also underway. “There will be a truck at every visarjan site, which will only collect nirmalayas,” added Kshirsagar.
Dummy lakes for deity idols
The 10-day Ganesh festival begins on September 11. Roughly, some 1.5 lakh idols have been made in the city. Last year, on the first day of visarjan, around 3,800 idols were immersed in artificial lakes alone, compared to 3,200 idols immersed throughout the Ganesh festival in 2008. Like last year, the BMC will have 23 artificial lakes.
The 10-day Ganesh festival begins on September 11. Roughly, some 1.5 lakh idols have been made in the city. Last year, on the first day of visarjan, around 3,800 idols were immersed in artificial lakes alone, compared to 3,200 idols immersed throughout the Ganesh festival in 2008. Like last year, the BMC will have 23 artificial lakes.
Malaria diagnosis in mandals
This year, city’s Ganesh Mandals are going to create awareness on malaria and dengue. The mandal owners have requested the BMC to allow one mandal in each of the 227 wards so they can open a malaria diagnosis camp and put up informative posters on the pandal premises. They also want to carry out door-to-door campaigns in slum areas.
This year, city’s Ganesh Mandals are going to create awareness on malaria and dengue. The mandal owners have requested the BMC to allow one mandal in each of the 227 wards so they can open a malaria diagnosis camp and put up informative posters on the pandal premises. They also want to carry out door-to-door campaigns in slum areas.