Environmentalists in Goa have began campaigning for an eco-friendly Ganesh festival in the coastal state this year.
With Ganeshotsav getting increasingly modern and detrimental to the environment, green minds have started convincing people to celebrate an 'Eco-Chaturthi'.
The five-day long festival devoted to the elephant-headed deity will be celebrated in almost all the Hindu households and several public places in the state from September 11.
"The traditional festival is getting a modern outlook and with that the environment is taking a beating," environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar said.
He said green NGOs in the state have began efforts to give eco-touch to this festival so that the levels of noise, air and water pollution during the celebrations is reduced drastically.
Almost all the Hindu households in Goa worship Ganesh for two, five or eleven days. Later the idol is immersed in the nearby water bodies.
"This is a time for home coming as people who have settled in urban areas return to their native but are not bothered about the environment as they want the celebrations to be grand," Kerkar said.
The environmentalist residing in state's Keri village bordering Mhadei wildlife sanctuary said Ganesh idols made of unbaked natural clay, natural fiber and recycled paper will lessen the pollution.
"Ensure that the dyes used to colour the idols are organic or vegetable in origin. The stress on the use of earthen or clay idols embellished by vegetable dyes is a symbolic way of displaying environment-friendliness in religion," he said in an appeal to the people.
The Goa government has banned sale of Plaster of Paris Idols, which usually float in the water bodies and create nuisance.
The state-run Handicraft Corporation has launched a special subsidy scheme for the artisans who carve clay Idols.
Goa Handicrafts Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (GHRSSIDC) Chairman Sameer Salgaocar said that this year around 500 artisans have applied for the subsidy.
The Corporation had distributed cash subsidy of around Rs45 lakh during FY 2009-10 to various artisans.
He said that this year around the quantum of subsidy has been increased.
"Last year, Rs100 per idol for maximum of 150 idols was paid by the government which is not enhanced to Rs100 per idol for maximum of 250 idols," Salgaocar said.
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