Eco-Ganesha hunt comes to an end, best idols get green signal

When DNA announced its ‘Eco-Ganesha’ contest, 530 mandals from across the city sent in their entries. Using the criteria set by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, our team inspected the pandals for their environment-friendly features and attractiveness.

Only 123 pandals satisfied at least 80% of the norms, which included use of natural materials like cloth and flowers for decorations, clay idols and restricting use of loud speakers. That means only one in five mandals was successfully able to use environment-friendly ideas to create an interesting theme for their Ganeshas.

The DNA team then shortlisted 33 mandals for the final list. Yesterday (September 20), our eminent judges chose the 20 best mandals from the finalists. The names of the mandals that made it to our list of the ‘Best 20 Eco-Ganeshas’ will be revealed in our issues dated September 24 and 25. The awards will be handed out to winners at Le Meridien Hotel on September 25.

When the judges sat down to shortlist the best 20 pandals, there was a consensus that smaller idols were good because they released smaller amounts of toxic paints into water bodies. But Dr Palshetkar said that she was happy to see to a few large clay idols among the entries. “The reason why many mandals do not want to go for clay is because it is not possible to make large idols from the material. But the fact that there were a few clay idols that are over four feet should convince larger mandals to go for mud or clay,” she said.

The pandal put up by Modern Usha Colony in Malad was liked by the judges for its use of silk cloth and real flowers to create a simple but attractive setting for the six-feet tall mud idols. The Kritika Residency Ganeshotsav in Chembur was similarly praised for its use of colourful cloth and potted plants at the pandal.

Another mandal that used peacock feathers to decorate the pandal met the judges’ disapproval since poachers usually kill the birds to get the feathers. A few mandals had made it to the final list, despite the fact that they had plaster-of-paris idols because they had made clever use of environment-friendly materials. But the fact that plaster-of-paris chokes water bodies went against the mandals when it came to the  selection of the final 20.

Later, our judges debated over whether it is possible to celebrate festivals without defiling the environment. “If you look at the way festivals were celebrated in the past, it is possible to have fun without fouling nature,” said Dr Palshetkar.