Shades of green

While bigger mandals may be resisting change, there has been a noticeable shift in the mindset of small households

Soon, the street corners will reverberate with chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya, and for ten days until immersion, the Elephant God will be an honoured city guest. But in a more environmentally aware day and age, many Mumbaikars believe that it’s time Ganesh Chaturthi becomes an eco-friendly festival.

 “It all started with the competition between the various mandals to come up with the best Ganesh idol. Hence the concept of making the idols with plaster of Paris came into existence. Idols made of plaster of Paris are a lot cheaper than the clay ones that were popular at one time,” says environmentalist Debi Goenka. However, because of the cost factor, plaster of Paris-made idols became the popular choice. “But its harmful side  — especially when it comes to immersing the idols — has been completely neglected,” says Goenka.

Until recently, most people were unaware of the harmful effects of plaster of Paris, which contains chemicals such as gypsum, sulphur, phosphorous, and magnesium. This is compounded by the use of materials like Thermocol and plastic that are not easily biodegradable.

The mayor, Shubha Raul, has a different take on the subject. “It’s true that eco-friendly Ganpati idols are more favourable than those made of plaster of Paris, but the immersions always cause a problem. This year, we are going to have 22 artificial lakes in Mumbai just for immersion purposes,” she says. This, she believes, will help minimise the damage caused during the visarjan.

“The big Ganpati mandals are the role models, and if they adopt a more eco-friendly approach, others will surely follow,” says Raul. But in this, Raul is fighting a losing battle. Says Sanjay Gadekar, a committee member of the famous ‘Lalbaugcha Raja’: “I don’t understand the basis of this debate. All through the year, when factories emit chemicals, people throw rubbish into the sea and even defecate in the water, no one makes a hue and cry.  We, at Lalbaug, are very responsible in our arrangements. We make sure that we immerse our 12-foot high idol deep into the sea, so there is no question of the moorti not dissolving.”

But while the bigger mandals may be resisting change, there has been a noticeable shift in the attitudes of small households. Sushma Pandit, a housewife, says, “Initially, everyone wanted to have the traditional idol, but I was opposed to the idea.I don’t see any harm in going green.”

Jigna Shah, the owner Green Ways, is doing a brisk trade in selling eco-friendly Ganesha idols. She says, “We have been selling eco-friendly Ganpati for two years and the demand in increasing.”

This year, the Pandit family chose to purchase an eco-friendly idol. Devang Patel says, “The Lord looks as splendid as ever. We are the first in our building to take this step, and have received positive support from the residents.”

But while these small efforts are a step in the direction, environmentalists say that they are just a drop in the ocean.