TNPCB directs idol makers to only sell eco-friendly Vinayaka idols

This move is to help in fulfilling the agenda of clean environment as chemicals used to make idols pollute lakes and rivers.

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) in an announcement has stated that only eco-friendly Vinayaka idols are allowed this year. With only a week left for the annual Ganesha Chaturthi festival, sellers and idol makers have started accepting orders for Vinayaka idols.

Hence, in order to make sure that the festivities do not pollute the water bodies, TNPCB has come up with this directive. As per the announcement, "all the idol makers should only use eco-friendly raw material such as raw clay, kizhangu flour or sago paste to make the idols." The vendors are also allowed to use a dried straw, organic clay and natural mud to make the idols.

The vendors are allowed to use things that are biodegradable and do not pose any harm to the environment. In another directive, the board has ordered that plaster of paris, plastic thermocol, single-use plastic etc should not be used to make the idols. All of these are a threat to the local water bodies as they contaminate them and make them poisonous for the aquatic fauna and people dependent on them.

Talking about the beautification of the idols, only organic paint, and washable or biodegradable clothes are allowed. The vendors are also asked to refrain from using inorganic or chemical-filled dye for the Ganesha idol. Also, using loud speakers at night in the pandals are prohibited.

Another major announcement made by TNPCB for the upcoming Ganesha Chaturthi is for the devotees. The board has asked them to immerse the idols only at those locations that have been marked by the officials. Earlier, the officials conducted surveys across the state and marked water bodies that could be used for safe idol immersion. The board has also requested the devotees to celebrate the festival without polluting the environment in any way.

This is not the first time that TNPCB has ordered this kind of probe, last year too similar decisions were taken by the board. The communities as well as the vendors were asked to make sure that the festival does not affect the nearby environment.

For the unversed, the Ganesha Chaturthi festival begins on August 31, 2022. It is a ten-day festival that is celebrated across the country.