'DNA' Conversations: Making the Ganesha festival eco-friendly

It is the time of the year when Mumbai is at its peak of frenzy. True, Diwali continues to be the most important festival for most Hindus, but in Maharashtra, it is the Ganesha festival that captures the imagination. Four months before Ganesh Chaturthi, the city is witness to hundreds of stalls displaying Ganesha idols. And during the 10 days between Ganesh Chaturthi and the final immersion of the statues of the Lord who is the destroyer of evil, the city is witness to thousands of devotees queueing up for a glimpse of the God’s statue before it is immersed in water.

But, predictably, the promoters of this festival are also accused of being polluters. Plaster of paris (PoP) statues line the bottom of lakes and oceans causing silting which eventually kills marine life. Toxic paints used to pain the statues pollute the water and cause allergies. The frenzied beating of drums and cymbals to the accompaniment of chants causes unacceptable levels of noise pollution.

It was to find out how this festival could be made more eco friendly without losing the element of piety and devotion, that DNA called some of the key people involved in making such decisions. The panel comprised (in alphabetical order) Pramod Bendre, founder of Ganesh Kala Kendra and supplier of 40,000 eco Ganesha statues this year; Naresh L. Dahibhavkar, President, Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsava Mandal, Dr.Kishor Kshirsagar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Brihanmumbai Mahanagarpalika (BMC), and Rajiv Mital, IAS, Member Secretary, MPCB. In attendance were also Sanjay Bhuskute- Public Relation officer- Maharashtra Pollution Ccontrol Board, and Dr.Uday Dhuri- Director- Ganesha Kala Kendra

Given below are edited excerpts:

DNA: We have this great festival which was popularized by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak to mobilize political thought using the mass appeal of a religious event. Religions are great excuse to getting people together and when there are people around, you can motivate them into a social cause.

Yet lately this festival has had its own share of problems. Could we have your views, and what is being done to overcome these problems?

Mital: The Ganesha Festival has been like one of the major festivals of Maharashtra. And I discovered its uniqueness when I came to this state from Delhi ten years ago. It is then that I realized what the festival really is. Earlier I had only heard about it; saw the visarjan [farewell leading to immersion in water] on TV. But I realized its magnitude, how big it really is, and how many people are involved only when I came here. The festival has its own tradition. It has evolved in its own way. And as we evolved in terms of science and technology they led to their own share of problems.

For instance the use of plaster of Paris; it is good for making statues, but causes pollution.

DNA: Correct.

Mital: Then there are toxic colours. And also the plastic and the thermocol which we use for decoration. Another dimension is the noise pollution. But then environment has begun to catch the attention of policymakers more after the 1970s. Till 1970s people care for the environment, but they were largely non-issues.

So we have to take measures to protect the environment and to prevent pollution, and we have also to harmonize the interest of the environment with the religious sentiments of the people. So as I see it, more than the regulation, the challenge is to create an awareness of these issues, and to make people realize how the festival can be celebrated in a more eco-friendly way.

DNA: Okay. Let us take the discussion to one of the organizers, who looks after the interests of the mandals [committees looking after the festive arrangements] in this city. [to Dahibhavkar] How many months prior to the festival do you start your planning?

Dahibhavkar: Four months. Prior to the Ganesha festival commencing, the Samanvay Samiti [apex body] representing 10,300 Sarvajanik [public] Ganpati Mandal sits down as it has done for the past 29 years. At the time of meeting, we discuss with the BMC [Bombay Municipal Corporation], the State Government, Environment Department, Police Department, Traffic Department, various departments which are relevant to the festival.

I am very much thankful to DNA for inviting me here and also the initiative it has take during the past few years, especially during the past fortnight to promote the cause of an ecologically friendly Ganesha festival.

It was during the late ‘seventies and early ‘eighties that the government introduced the Environment Act, and then came the Noise Pollution rules around 2000.

Since then, one of the suggestions put forward was to create temporary ponds for immersion, so that natural water bodies would not get polluted. Last year, the BMC formed 22 ponds. This year the five ponds have been added, bringing the total to 27 ponds.

Then we proposed that since the green norms require that the idols be immersed at least 50 metres beyond the sea level during low tide, we have begun educating the mandals that the immersion should begin at 5:45 pm which is when the low tide begins, and should get over within the next six hours. We need your newspaper and other media to promote this awareness.

DNA: Yes.

 

Dahibavkar: Today, most of the mandals have stopped using toxic colours. We have also instructed the mandals to remove the decoration material at the time of immersion in Girgaum Chowpatty and other ponds. There are 84 immersion points in and around Mumbai.

We have also requested the BMC to promote the use of use Nirmalya Kalash [recentacle for storing stale flowers and garlands offered to the deity]. This is being done. But our request to the government to provide specific spaces for idol makers has not been granted. We recommend that the idols should not be higher than eight feet. Each idol requires six to eight months in making. We are still waiting for the government’s response.

Bhuskute: This was a demand first made by the Brihanmumbai Samanvay Samiti – a place where some 500 idol makers could work round the year. That is a problem, because it is very difficult to find an open space for this purpose in Mumbai.

Dahibavkar: We have also requested the government to help us train idol makers.

DNA: What are the BMC’s views?

Kshirsagar: First of all, I thank DNA for initiating this campaign for promoting the eco-friendly Ganesh festival. That is what is the need of time.

As has already been mentioned, we start preparations four months prior to the onset of festival.

We have 72 major immersion sites, plus 27 artificial ponds. These artificial ponds have been built from the environment point of view.

Mital: It appears that people have responded extremely well to this concept, as water is considered a gift of God, and they agree that human actions shoud not pollute those whether it is the sea or the lakes. In fact, when you look overseas, you cannot even put your finger in the Thames River, London. £100 is the fine, even if you spit. But, unfortunately, in India there is no such stringent regulation and stringent application. So we need such rules to be implemented.

DNA: Why doesn’t the BMC implement those fines?

Mital: Now we have started implementing fines as far as other things are concerned. Like we have Conservancy Byelaws. We charge fines. But as the being Ganesh Festival is a religious issue, levying fines is not advisable, as it could result into a law and order situation.

That is why the BMC or any government agency, tend to be very lenient when it comes to pollution causes by festivals, let it be Ganesh Festival or any other festival. Even so, the efforts taken by the BMC, the pollution control board and other agencies is commendable. All of us are committed to this festival becoming a ‘Green’ Ganesha.

DNA: Let’s go to Bendre, who I have been told has been responsible for making some 40,000 eco-friendly Ganeshas this year. How did you make 40,000 idols and what kind of support did you get?

Bendre[in Marathi, translated]: Since our childhood we worship Ganeshji. Seen lots of places. So since childhood I had an urge to make Ganeshji idols, but when I saw that at every place different, different types of Ganeshji are prepared, then I read lots of books about Ganeshji.

Then I had an idea of how an ideal Ganeshji would be, I tried to find out from our old and holy books and scriptures, and then understood what was recommended. The explanation in Durga Puran of Ganeshji’s even suggests its size. What dimensions Ganeshji should have.

Kshirsagar: In fact, even mythologically, Ganesha is the lord of the environment and of the universe. All of you know the birth story of Ganesha.He was born of the mud and sweat that game from the skin of his mother Parvati. Ganesha is Janma matipasun. [Born from the soil]. And he must therefore go back to the soil.

The concept of Ganesha is completely environment friendly. He is the lord of the environment.

But unfortunately, PoP, chemicals, synthetic colors and heights going upto 30-feet have taken things the wrong way.

Bendre: Firstly let me clarify, we are not overtly against plaster of Paris. We are just saying that Ganeshji is made from the essence of Parvati, his mother. Her name means ‘of the mountain’. It means that Ganeshji is made out of the mud taken from the top of the mountain. So wer work with mud and whatever nature gives us. We have to return the mud back to nature. That is why we are being eco-friendly. We sell the mud made from the ‘shadu’ soil.

There are different types of mud, but why only shadu soil? Because this soil has the best qualities for making the idol more attractive.

That is why after doing our studies, we in Ganesh Kala Kendra make statues from soil which has good qualities, from which people also get good qualities.

DNA: Are you training these idol makers?

Bendre: No. Not yet. But we will do something.

But for time being – our disciples are doing it. We people are trying to understand the scriptures. So whatever good we can give to people, we are trying that.

During the past three years we have grown. Last year we made around 20,000 idols. Before that we did 10,000. We contacted Dr. Kshirsagar sir and he helped us a lot. That is why we could manage to sell 40,000 idols this year. Kishor Kshirsagar: And we could sell all of them because the demand is till a lot more – around 50,000. Hence we had no statues left, and we had people asking for more from us.

Kshirsagar: The total demand for all types of idols, including those that Bendre’s centres make, is around 1,75,000 for this city alone. This includes the Ganapatis that are kept in people’s homes.

DNA: At least two cities, Chandrapur and Nagpur, have banned PoP Ganeshas, Or at least that is what is reported in various sections of the media.

Dahibhavkar: Goa too.

DNA: So if these cities and their municipal corporations could ban PoP, why has the BMC not done this as yet? Kishor Kshirsagar: Yeah. I’ve heard this…

Kshirsagar: First, I have not need any GR [Government Resolution or notification] on this development. Once we go through it, we shall try and see how to implement in Mumbai as well.

DNA: So can we assume that next year you will ban it?

Kishor Kshirsagar: No, not at all.

DNA: Why?

Kshirsagar: Because this is a decision to be taken in a collective manner. This cannot be BMC’s or State Government’s decision in isolation. People have to be taken into confidence. Mandals will have to be taken into confidence. Courts will have to be taken into confidence.

Mital: See, banning is perhaps not the correct solution. The whole issue has to be looked at with a different perspective. At one point, there are the people who make these idols. They need some time to get into the new methodology. Then there are people who are going to purchase these idols. Will they be ready to accept any kind of statue which is not as per their liking?

And the third is the religious angle; what could the repercussions be if we imposed a ban. The best way to change the situation is by increasing awareness.

Moreover, the bans in Nagpur and Chandrapur were announced only at the last minute. We do not yet know if they were effective. After all what happens to the stuatues that have already been made?

And I have heard people have gone to Court also against these bans.

When we heard about these bans we had some sort of a preliminary informal discussion. The collective mood was not in favor of such a ban. The idea was that we should go more for an awareness campaign.

 

Kshirsagar: I agree. There should be a public awareness campaign in favor of this thing. After total public awareness is achieved, we could come out with such a legislation.

DNA: So there are two issues -- both the government and the BMC are concerned about. One is public awareness, which must be taken up round the year is one which goes round the year to educate people. And the second is the need to introduce laws with sensitivity, especially when you are talking of festivals and cultural issues.

Kshirsagar: And that is not limited to the Ganesh festival only, very correct.

DNA: Like in today’s papers, your permitted decibel level is 45.

Kshirsagar: Right.

DNA: During the Ganesha festival it has gone up to 110. If there is old person sleeping, if there is patient sleeping, he is inconvenienced. That is a law and it must be respected.

Kshirsagar: Absolutely.

DNA: Now, if you don’t educate them round the year, you have a problem. So how do you go about educating them?

Dahibhavkar: About noise pollution I would like to mention that the norm for decibel levels has been given. But when I vist the mandals they say, ‘you instruct us because we are hindus, but please look around. Other communities use loudspeakers. Why should we reduce our noise levels?

DNA: The Parsis and Christians have celebrated their festivals without making any noise in the city. And our culture tells us to follow the best examples, not the worst. So why forget our cultural heritage now?

Kshirsagar: Law should be implemented equally.

DNA: It should be implemented equally, I agree with you. [To Mital] How do we handle this problem from the government point of view?

Mital: As I said earlier, cultural issues are very deep rooted and they have not come up in just over a period of say 10 to 12 years. The awareness about environment and laws is relatively new. So, part of it lies in awareness and sensitization. And the other part in the self-drive to follow good examples. That is very important. And anywhere or in any field, behavioral change is very, very difficult.

 

DNA: Does the government have a program to educate people round the year? The way it has succeeded in persuading people to move from PoP to mud Ganeshas. Noise is something we have not learned yet.

Dahibhavkar: Generation gap is important. My kids are saying we should get eco-friendly. And if you look at last year’s newspapers, the nouse levels had reached 170 decibels. So even noise pollution is reducing through awareness.

Bhuskute: There has been a lot of effort by the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsava Mandals, all the Brihanmumbai Samitis, this year, across the city. For instance, this year, nobody is using the Dolby sounds. Very few mandals use Dolby sound before 10 O’clock.

Dahibhavkar: This year many people have stopped playing the DJ type of music.

DNA: How many people in the BMC are deployed especially for this festival? Do you employ people especially for the festival?

Kshirsagar: Nearly a 6,000 strong workforce, 1,000 odd officers, maybe 200 lorries with 54 ambulances. Then we have mobilized around 100 boats, around 250 lifeguards. The cars and other four wheelers number maybe 200 or 300. We spend around Rs. 25 crore directly and indirectly. Our last year’s direct cost was Rs.10 crore. This year’s direct costs may come to around Rs.12-13crore. And maybe including indirect costs, we’ll be ending up spending up to Rs.25 crore.

Dahibhavkar: And BMC earns a similar amount through octroi on tarpaulins, paints bamboos etc.

DNA: This year, of course, the BMC had one more problem: the roads have not been repaired in time for the Ganpati festival.

Kshirsagar: There are so many issues leading to traffic jams. Potholes is one of them.

DNA [to Bendre]: What is the reason of the growth of acceptance of mud Ganapatis by people?

Bendre: For the last ten years, we are on a mission of doing that. And people have realized its importance. Now, many people want eco Ganesh idols.And this new generation wants only eco Ganesh idols.

Moreover, for the past 10 years, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has been advocating ways to reduce noise pollution. Today, in the mid-Mumbai region, almost 150 Ganesh mandals are participating in that initiative and have reduced noise pollution.

We often arrange street plays or lectures and tell people about how to reduce noise pollution. We also arrange these kinds of lectures in Ganesh mandals. In that, we say that hygenic Ganesh means eco-friendly Ganesh idol. We explain why should it be made. So there are a lot of things That we do. And the result is visible in the increase in demand for such idols.

DNA: So, wherever you have small mandals, there you gather people and try to educate them. Do you have a training programme?

Bendre: Yes. Before the Ganesh festival. We have such training camps all over Maharashtra. We take the help of Hindu trusts. Our aim is to educate people about our mission about the environment. Environment is not because of Ganesh idols. Cleanliness is more important, and if there is cleanliness, then the environment becomes pure itself.

Dhuri: We teach people about the parameters for ensuring a clean festival. When we do Ganpati immersion, what should the percentage of Gulaal (red powder) be? How should it be used? That’s education. Secondly, when we worship and perform aartis, we do it loudly and because of that children are accustomed to shout loudly They shout loudly “Jai Ho Vitthala “ and that affects their hearing. So environment works automatically in their bodies. So what does Ganpati need? He needs dedicated prayers. So educations is about dedication.

Bendre: So that’s why there is chanting and there is worshipping. So we work like that. So what does actually Ganesh festival mean? What is the meaing of Vakratunda? It means to put people on the right track. How to be on one track, that is what Ekdanta means. So Lord Ganesha teaches us these things. So this type of education is the environment in itself.

Environment means education. It is Man’s whole shashtra, and Lord Ganesha teaches us this thing. So we educate people like these and they understand these things. And now in the last month, we had 150 mandals participating, in Ghatkopar and we have these things coming up in every village, from Bangalore and all over India and we work everywhere including Bangalore. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti supports us.

And the second thing is we are not against POP, because POP’s report we have forwarded it to RTI and POP is not harmful for water.

Mital: Even though POP is not harmful, the main problem of that is that the pores of water that are there in the earth, from where we get water, the pores get blocked as a result of PoP/

DNA: It is not injurious to health, but it is injurious to silting which is indirectly affecting health.

Mital: Meaning the ponds that are there, the water bodies that are there, the water that they get from the earth, in case those sources are closed, those pores close, those water bodies will perish.

Kshirsagar : Absolutely.

 

Mital: So that is the main reason.

Kshirsagar: But it won’t be possible for any government or anybody to pass such legislation, unless there is collective decision is taken, unless there is proper campaigning, proper public awareness is up-to-date.

Bhuskute: Which is understandable, it’s a religion, it’s a social movement. But is it possible for the state to gently guide people. The state has a guiding role.

Kshirsagar: I think what we are discussing here, is also a platform.

DNA: Of course.

Bhuskute: Yeah. Absolutely right.

Kshirsagar: See, discussion like this was never held before. This is the fifth or sixth year that I am looking after the Ganpati festival in Mumbai. This is the first time I am experiencing this kind of discussion.

DNA: We am glad.

Kshirsagar: So let there be other discussions at other forums, other levels.

DNA: But in principle, do you think the state could recommend and have programs to suggest that when POP is used, they should not be put in natural bodies but in artificial lakes?

Mital: What you say has a lot of merit.

Mital: It has to be a collective decision, And with awareness a lot can happen. For instance, during last five years we have seen a lot of difference.

Mital: We have to increase awareness. I still feel there is a lot of time to go till we reach the stage where we can think of actually going for a ban on any kind of situation or a rule. There is some time before that can happen.

Dahibhavkar: Talking about awareness, if you say what just Mr. Bendre said, to do street plays. That is where the culture department of the government should be responsive. But this department was absent at the last meeting.

Can you tell me what’s the contribution of Culture Department in Ganpati Festival? Today, Culture Department, we just get to see them on 26 January in Delhi and here on Labor Day, on 1st May and so on.

They should participate in Ganpati street plays and other programmes.

And another suggestion. There is the one Siddhivinayak Temple.It’s a big temple, has huge funds. But its contribution towards awareness aboyut eco-Ganesha is meager. They only give away flags and T-shirts. Siddhivinayak should be promoting this type of awareness round the year.

DNA: Precisely.

Dahibhavkar: That’s why we need the authority of the State Government also, whatever statutory bodies it has. So it can be Siddhivinayak or any committee, their involvement is necessary.

That’s why I request to the government to be involved in this all round the year. Today the only person who helps us is Bhuskute. He taught us how to make even very large Ganesha idols of 20 feet without PoP.

Bhuskute: We took up this job because a couple of years ago, we had a problem that big idol makers have said that we cannot make above three or four feet idols without PoP.

So what we did, we called for the Kankavli idol makers and we have continually done this for last two years, to demonstrate that idols of these heights can be made. First, this was the aim. But now, all of them are convinced that they do not want to make idols of over 18 feet.

Dahibhavkar: This year, we have passed the regulation.

Bhuskute: They have put in lots of effort in this.

Dahibhavkar: Now nobody will make idol above 18 feet and 98% of mandals have implemented it. This is a historical decision.

Kshirsagar: What is the relevance of 18 feet? Is it as per religion or as per convenience?

Dahibhavkar: 18 is as per religion. The figure 18 has lot of importance in religion.

Kshirsagar: Why isn’t there a competition of celebrating Ganpati Utsav with simplicity?

Dahibhavkar: It will take time. A change in mentality is needed. It won’t happen by just speaking.

DNA: So we are agreed that everyone must contribute to the cause of eco-Ganesha.

There should be contribution of Cultural Department. There should be a contribution from Siddhivinayak.

Dahibhavkar: We should rope in schools. Where I stay, in Shivaji Nagar Society, we call all the children of convent schools and teach them about the Ganpati. Our education society doesn’t include any subjects on POP. Now you can get the information from the site. But it is important that all children should know about this.

For this, we should organize some street plays and other programmes. These mediums should be used for awareness alongwith print media, electronic media.

And the second thing I’m requesting through your newspaper is that celebrities should not visit mandals where idols are made of PoP. Why do celebrities visit such a mandal? Wherever, we have Ganeshas -- in Kurla – or in Lower Parel or at the Andheri mandal where Ganeshas are made without PoP, those are the places celebrities should promote.

Finally, our politicians, the CM and others, should visit small mandals with eco-friendly Ganapati. They should give away awards and small incentive prizes to mandals that promote eco-friendly idols.

Dahibhavkar: So far the state government hasn’t fixed any competition. Why doesn’t the state government – the environment department? The state government should organise a competition, like BMC does.

Bhuskute: We have this competition from past three years everywhere. We shall recommend expansion of such comtests. We have also organized contests with the help of media like the DNA eco-Ganesha, and we have placed eight Ashtavinayaka across the city.

Then we have taken the different competition, household competition, Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandals, and for the green societies, for the different type of news – different news channels.. So we are taking round the clock all the – then radio, the print, so 360 degree media, we are raising all the ways we can promote these eco-idols.

Bendre: In fact, we work at the school level as well. We have an organization. This organization works at every school and participate in an activity called Prashna Manjusha where the children are asked a question about Ganeshji and select answers.

DNA: Quizzes.

Bendre: Similarly, if the BMC permits us we could do the same in the BMC schools as well. It would be much better.

Bhuskute: Definitely, they will allow.

DNA: That’s a good idea. Yes.