Hyderabad: Even though Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have banned idols made of Plaster of Paris, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have not taken the initiative. Officials of the Pollution Control Board said they can’t ban the use of Plaster of Paris or use of heavy metals for idols, as there is no such provision under the Environment Act or the Water Pollution Act.
“Such provisions can be made by the state government. The file to ban PoP idols was sent several times to the government in the past, but it was not approved,” said a senior official of the Telangana State Pollution Control Board.
P. Ramesh Chandra, former environmental engineer of APPCB, said, “There are guidelines to discourage the use of PoP idols and promote eco-friendly idols, but there is no such Act or provision to ban the use of such idols.”
“Other than the law, there are many other challenges in promoting clay idols or eco-friendly ones. For about 25,000 Ganesha idols 50,000 litres of natural colours will be required, but the available quantity is only 200 litres. Similarly, availability of clay in such a huge quantity is also a problem,” he added.
PCB officials claim that PoP is not a harmful substance in itself, if it is removed within 24 to 48 hours of immersion. The government alone cannot ensure promotion of eco-friendly Ganesha idols, But, it is not even helping the NGOs working to promote the eco-friendly Ganesha idols, complain NGOs.
Vijay Kumar of SAVE Nature NGO, who makes eco-friendly Ganesha and Durga idols every year, is discouraged by the government’s lack of desire to help. “I bring special artisans from West Bengal and clay from the Hooghly River every year to promote eco-friendly idols. I do it without any profit. At least the government should come forward to provide a place with water supply a few months before the beginning of the festival. Though the government initially provided a place in Erragadda, later it stopped. I have to do it on the city outskirts at my own cost,” he said.
Tall idols cannot be made with clay as there is the issue of strength of the idol; hence idols of five to six feet tall are preferred. PCB officials say there are no provisions or rules to restrict the size of the idols.
Jasveen Jairath of Save Our Urban Lakes said, “The size of idols have nothing to do with religion. It is only an expression of political power and money. For this political involvement, government officials too turn blind to the violations of environment norms and safety.”
While the High Court ordered the clearance festival remains within 24 hours, the GHMC has so far cleared only 1,027 metric tons of waste from 230 identified locations across 18 Circles with the help of 122 teams.
The Ganesha Action Teams, comprising one sanitary supervisor and 21 workers, were deployed at 3-4 km intervals. R.P. Khajuria, member (environment), BPP-HMDA said, as several big idols were immersed on Tuesday as well, much of the festival waste could not be dredged out. However, dredging was to start again at 9pm on Tuesday and continue till Wednesday evening.
