MCC to crack down on PoP, chemical Ganesha idols

  • | Saturday | 14th July, 2018

“Besides seizure of such idols, those celebrating Ganesha festival with PoP idols should be served a legal notice. Besides PoP, idols made using paper pulp are also very harmful,” Revanna told TOI.MCC health officer Nagaraj said that Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations in areas such as Paduvarahalli, Mathru Mandali and Chandrakala Hospital witnessed use of PoP idols. But, a few days before the festival, PoP idols enter the city. Earlier, PoP idols were manufactured in the city, but now many of them have shifted to the outskirts. We do not want any PoP idols in the city.

Mysuru: Warning Ganesha idol makers against using chemical colours, plastic and Plaster of Paris PoP ), Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) stated that stringent action would be initiated against violators.Ganesha Chaturthi is two months away, and artisans are preparing to make the idols for the festival, which is celebrated on a grandiose scale in the city. Idols made using chemical colouring agents, and PoP, when immersed in lakes and other waterbodies, cause irreparable damage.Intent on protecting the waterbodies in the city from pollution, MCC is initiating measures to prevent manufacture of idols containing harmful chemicals. The civic agency believes that conserving the city’s lakes will boost Mysuru’s reputation as the cleanest medium city,Despite taking stringent measures, MCC was not entirely successful in preventing immersion of chemical and PoP Ganesha idols in the city’s lakes, leading to anger among environmentalists and conservationists.MCC commissioner KH Jagadish told TOI that the agency was taking measures two months ahead of the festival since artisans started manufacturing the idols around this time. “When we take action at the very beginning, the manufacturers won’t incur heavy losses. If MCC tries to seize idols during the festival, they accuse the agency of not informing them earlier. We do not want any PoP idols in the city. We will also increase the number of immersion tanks this year,” Jagadish said.Stating that environmentalists and bird watchers had appealed to the MCC to ensure the lakes remained uncontaminated, Jagadish said, “MCC is striving to maintain cleanliness in the city. We want to make sure that the waterbodies are unpolluted.”Wild Mysuru member Shylajesh, who is an avid bird watcher, expressed concern over the immersion of some of the larger Ganesha idols – 10ft to 20ft high – in the Cauvery at Srirangapatna. “Besides seizure of such idols, those celebrating Ganesha festival with PoP idols should be served a legal notice. Harmful chemicals are used to prepare some idols, which pollute the waterbodies, and the environment,” Shylajesh told TOI.However, Revanna of Kumabrgeri said that, while MCC had been issuing notice about the ban on PoP idols, the civic body had not taken stringent action on the idol manufacturers till now. “Everyone knows that use of chemicals, and PoP harms the environment. But, a few days before the festival, PoP idols enter the city. Earlier, PoP idols were manufactured in the city, but now many of them have shifted to the outskirts. Besides PoP, idols made using paper pulp are also very harmful,” Revanna told TOI.MCC health officer Nagaraj said that Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations in areas such as Paduvarahalli, Mathru Mandali and Chandrakala Hospital witnessed use of PoP idols. “We will crack down on PoP idol manufacturers, and prevent them from entering the city,” he added.- Akshatha J

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