Latest news with #PlasterofParis
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Plaster of Paris idol sales continue across Karnataka as ban enforcement falters
BENGALURU: With less than a month to go for the Ganesha festival, state government agencies, particularly the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), are yet to crackdown on Plaster of Paris (PoP) and heavy lead paint idols manufactured and sold across the state. So far, raids have been conducted only in two places -- Bengaluru's Dasarahalli zone and Hubballi where 1,000 and 180 idols, respectively, were seized. 'It has been a year since the government issued orders banning PoP idols. From the last last festive season till now, all the idols that were stored should have been seized and scientifically destroyed. Now, when the festival is just a month away, insignificant checks have started,' said an environment expert working with the KSPCB. On Thursday, Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre had reiterated the state government's 2023 ban and directed officials to take stock of the clay and P0P idols and strictly enforce the ban. Sellers, however, pointed out that they have old stocks which they have invested upon and need to be cleared. 'These idols were made during the previous years and I have paid for each of them. They are to be used in community/public spaces. The government should give us at least one-year time to ensure that they are disposed. Nobody wants second-hand idols for festivities, which the government has been promoting,' said Mallappa, a trader on Mysuru Road. BBMP's construction and debris waste management officials said there are incinerator plants to scientifically dispose PoP idols, but no idols come to them due to religious sentiments. The KSPCB banned the use of PoP idols in 2016. The National Green Tribunal issued orders banning sale, manufacture and usage of PoP idols in 2023 and the Karnataka government issued orders banning them in August 2024. The chief secretary also issued orders for the formation of committees under the district administrations to ensure sale, manufacture and usage of eco-friendly idols and green crackers. KSPCB senior environmental officer G Yateesh said, 'The board has written to the district administrations to seize all those manufacturing and selling PoP idols. But the police and district administration is not cooperating. People should also understand and stop purchasing. We are aware of the idols and seizures are being done. People must also come forward and give details of where they see such idols.' How to identify PoP, lead paint idols Lift the idol; if it is solid inside and hard then it is PoP Idols made with eco-friendly items like clay, gunny sacks and hay stacks are light and not hard Eco-friendly paints are not bright, shiny and glossy
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
In A PoP World, A Couple Sticks To Clay & Ethical Craftsmanship
Nagpur: With Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols back in circulation, traditional clay sculptors are facing an existential crisis. For Prashant and Nisha Mahurkar, a couple who has dedicated decades to crafting eco-friendly idols, the new reality is not just challenging, but disheartening. "We spend days, sometimes weeks, handcrafting an idol. Each piece is a tribute to the Bappa," says Prashant, gently brushing dust off a half-finished Ganesha in his modest Nagpur workshop. "But POP idols? They're mass-produced and sold in minutes. They're cheaper and that's hard to compete with." The return of POP, which is harmful to the environment and banned by several state pollution boards until recently, has tilted the scales further against traditional artisans. Mahurkar recently received a request for a 'Military Ganpati' , an idol of Lord Ganesha holding a rifle. "I asked them if we could replace the weapon with a Tiranga (Indian tricolour). They agreed. That's our job to preserve sanctity, not just sculpt forms. " His wife, Nisha, who handles the final finishing of the idols, echoes his sentiment. "Sometimes people come with the most bizarre demands. Once, a family brought a photo of Ganeshji styled after a cartoon character, holding an oversized modak. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo We knew their intention was to please their kids, but we felt the need to change certain aspects," she says. "We explained the importance of maintaining the deity's sanctity, suggested gentler modifications, and thankfully, they understood." But far more than quirky customer requests, what keeps the Mahurkars up at night is the mounting cost of keeping their craft alive. The couple finds it increasingly difficult to hire and retain daily wage workers. "We can't afford to pay unskilled help anymore," Nisha explains. "And it takes time to train them, this work isn't just about moulding clay. It requires a deep understanding of balance, drying, and layering." Prashant adds, "We spend more time training than actually creating. And yet, we have to meet deadlines." They admit that taking shortcuts could make the business more profitable. "We could switch to POP and fool customers. But how will we sleep at night?" he asks. "This isn't just a business. This is our legacy, our offering to God." In a world where mass production reigns, the Mahurkars' stand is both rare and courageous, a testament to devotion, ethics, and a dying art.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
Khandre orders crackdown on POP idol sales
Bengaluru: Karnataka Forest, Ecology, and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre has directed officials to curb the storage, transportation, and sale of Plaster of Paris (POP) Ganesha and Gauri idols, encouraging instead the promotion of eco-friendly clay idols without chemical paints ahead of the upcoming festive season. Addressing the media in Bengaluru, Minister Khandre emphasized the environmental hazards posed by POP idols. He stated that POP idols are made using calcium sulfate hemihydrate powder, which contains harmful elements such as sulfur, dyes, gypsum, magnesium, and are coated with toxic paints that include mercury, cadmium, lead, and carbon. When these idols are immersed in water bodies like lakes, ponds, or rivers, they release heavy metals that contaminate the water, affecting human and animal health and causing the death of aquatic life. To prevent such environmental damage, the Environment Department has been instructed to launch public awareness campaigns. The minister recalled that in previous years, circulars were issued against the manufacture and sale of POP idols, but since taking office in 2023, he has formalised the prohibition through a government order. Local municipal bodies have been directed to strictly enforce this ban. With just a month left for the Gauri-Ganesha festival, Minister Khandre has asked authorities to begin immediate action to prevent the transport and storage of POP idols. Furthermore, resident welfare associations in high-rise buildings, housing complexes, and residential layouts have been urged to inform their members to use only eco-friendly idols for worship. Khandre reiterated that community leaders should take responsibility for spreading the message of sustainability and ensure a greener celebration of the festival.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Ganesha idols up to 6 feet must be immersed in artificial ponds, rules HC
MUMBAI: In a major step towards promoting environmentally responsible Ganeshotsav celebrations, the Bombay High Court on Thursday made it mandatory for all Ganesh idols—whether made of clay or Plaster of Paris (PoP)—measuring up to six feet in height to be immersed in artificial ponds provided by municipal corporations and local bodies across Maharashtra. Ganesha idols up to 6 feet must be immersed in artificial ponds, rules HC The order came a day after the state government informed the court that it had already made immersion in artificial tanks compulsory for idols up to five feet tall. Expanding the mandate, the bench of chief justice Alok Aradhe and justice Sandeep Marne observed, 'We have to make an endeavour that the impact of immersion of idols is bare minimum on the environment. Therefore, idols up to 6 feet should compulsorily be immersed in artificial tanks provided by local bodies.' The court also directed the state government to ensure its idol immersion policy is implemented 'in letter and spirit' and asked all civic authorities in Maharashtra to make appropriate arrangements to enforce the rule. The aforesaid guidelines of the state government for immersion of idols shall apply to all festivals wherein practice of immersion of idols is followed which are to be celebrated till March 2026. BMC flags scale of preparations, logistical challenges During the hearing, senior advocate Milind Sathe, representing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), told the court that 85,306 Ganesh idols measuring less than 5 feet were immersed in artificial ponds across Mumbai last year. With the new directive extending the rule to all idols up to six feet, the number of idols expected to be immersed in artificial tanks this year would rise to approximately 1,95,306—an increase of over 110,000. Sathe added that in 2023, 3,865 idols between 5 and 10 feet in height and 3,998 idols above 10 feet—many of them made of PoP—were immersed in natural water bodies. He pointed out that arranging for the immersion of larger idols in artificial ponds had presented significant logistical challenges in the past, and the new policy would require substantial infrastructural and administrative planning. Alongside the immersion mandate, the court asked the state to constitute an expert committee to explore eco-friendly methods to recycle PoP material. The committee will be expected to examine scientifically viable ways of dissolving PoP idols without harming the environment. The legal tussle over PoP continues The high court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Thane resident Rohit Joshi, seeking implementation of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)'s guidelines prohibiting both the manufacture and immersion of PoP idols. The PIL raised concerns about pollution in rivers, lakes, and other natural water bodies caused by immersion practices. In contrast, Ganesha idol makers and artisans challenged the CPCB ban, arguing that it threatened their right to livelihood and impacted traditional practices. Taking a balanced view, the court allowed the continued manufacture and sale of PoP idols but barred their immersion in natural water bodies without specific court permission. 'It will be open to the petitioners and artisans to make PoP idols. However, the same shall not be immersed in natural water bodies without the leave of the court,' the bench clarified. The question of whether PoP idols should be banned from natural water bodies has been under judicial scrutiny since 2003, when the NGO Janhit Manch filed a PIL on environmental grounds. This prompted the CPCB to issue guidelines in 2009, which were updated in 2020 to ban immersion of PoP idols in natural sources while stopping short of prohibiting their production. A new scientific proposal adds nuance In April this year, the Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission (RGSTC)—a statutory body under the Maharashtra government—submitted a report recommending the conditional use of PoP idols. Commissioned by Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar, the report proposed that PoP idols painted with eco-friendly paints be allowed for immersion in large water bodies such as the sea and major rivers—provided these sites are far from drinking water sources and animal habitats. The report also recommended exploring 'retrievable immersion' methods that would allow PoP idols to be reused, thus minimising waste and damage to aquatic ecosystems.
India Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Immersion of over 6-foot Ganpati idols in sea, river and ponds get court nod
The Bombay High Court, on Thursday, allowed the immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols of six feet and above in natural water bodies like sea, rivers and ponds. The court's order will prevail till March 2026. The order comes as a relief for several festivals during this period including the Ganesh Chaturthi and the Navaratri. However, the bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne directed the state to ensure that no PoP idol below the height of 6 feet be immersed in the natural water bodies and adequate artificial tanks be made across the state for the Advocate General Birendra Saraf submitted that there are over 16 lakh ganpati idols which will now no longer be immersed in natural water bodies and will have a positive environmental impact. However, when a lawyer representing the petitioners against PoP idol immersion submitted that not a single PoP ganpati idol should be permitted to be immersed in natural water body, the bench said "We are also not satisfied. But we cannot create artificial ponds. Can you do it? Sitting here in a room, it is easy for you to argue and for us to pass an order. This has to be implemented by the local bodies. We have to issue a direction which is doable. We cannot be uncut from reality. We are also not happy with this, but we have to see the administrative constraints, and you will have to agree that this is a step in the right direction."The bench had yesterday directed the state to say if provision can be made for the immersion of idols about 7 to 8 feet high. However, Saraf submitted that it would create logistical issues, especially given the fact that there is only a month left for the Ganpati festivities to start. "In principle, we have no difficulty in increasing the height, but logistically it will not be feasible. I am not saying that it cannot be done. It can be done, but there will be difficulties," said Saraf."The impact on the environment should be the barest minimum. The next day we all saw the weird site with broken idols lying everywhere," said Chief assured that all local bodies have been directed to remove the remains of idols from sea bed and water permission is only until March 2026, after the state assured the court that it will set up an expert committee that will find a solution to the issue of the reuse and recycling of PoP.- EndsMust Watch
