Unhappy with the way Ganesh Idols are disposed of by the civic authorities, three devotees from Bapunagar have adopted an environment-friendly solution for idols made from plaster of Paris (PoP). They will use baking soda to harmlessly dissolve PoP idols and save Sabarmati river from being polluted. The devotees—Bhushan Kulkarni, Rahul Desai, and Vipul Radadiya—claimed that the technique can be used by households as well as residential societies and Ganpati mandals who are unhappy with the treatment meted out to Lord Ganesha idols by civic authorities during their disposal. In this way, the city can adopt an environment-friendly visarjan without hurting religious sentiments of people. "All that is required is baking soda, water, and a container which can be used for immersion. First, we have to mix baking soda in water in a drum or bucket depending upon the weight and size of the idol. Ideally, the amount of baking soda used for the purpose should be equal to the weight of the idol. Then, the idol is to be immersed in the solution for 48 hours. The solution should be stirred occasionally to ensure that the idol completely melts inside the container," Kulkarni said. He told DNA that he had already tested the technique with a small idol and it was successful. Now, he will immerse the three-foot PoP Ganesh idol installed by him and his friends on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi on Wednesday using the same technique. He said that after the immersion, the deposit collected at the bottom of the container can be used for making chalks, whereas the solution can be used as a fertiliser. Kulkarni said that he had earlier tried the same technique using caustic soda, but failed. He said the technique is already in use in Maharashtra. "I am not promoting PoP idols. I could not find a clay idol of the size and design I was looking for. So, I had to pick a PoP idol," he clarified.

Stay updated with all the Ahmedabad Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.