Mumbai: The BMC has made it mandatory to immerse all household Ganesh idols in artificial ponds this year. The civic body will also form a squad to keep an eye on the immersion spots across the city. Legal action will be taken if household idols are found to be made of Plaster of Paris (PoP), said a senior civic official.
Further, the BMC has mandated the household idols should be below four feet and will be made from 'shadu' clay. To encourage the idol makers and stockists, the BMC will be providing a total of 150 tonnes of ‘shadu’ clay and space for free on a first-come-first-serve basis. The civic authority has started registration for it from July 7 to October 23. So far, they have received five applications from stockists and 45 from idol makers.
Green mark mandatory for eco-friendly sculpture
The makers and stockists have to compulsory mark a green circle for an eco-friendly sculpture and a red circle for PoP ones on the idols. Ramakant Biradar, deputy municipal commissioner, said, "Our team at ward level will inspect the places of idol makers and stockists to verify if the Ganesh idols are made of eco-friendly material. We will also keep a squad at immersion places - natural and artificial ponds. If we find household idols made of PoP, a case will be filed in court against that person. The action will be taken under the Environment Protection Act, 1986."
308 artificial ponds across the city
Meanwhile, the BMC has also increased the number of artificial ponds to 308 this year. The BMC will start erecting the artificial ponds in the next two weeks. Around 66,127 households and Sarvajanik (public) Ganesh idols were immersed in 154 artificial ponds in 2022. As per civic records, more than two lakh household idols are recorded in Ganeshotsav across the city.
