Non-biodegradable Ganesha idol sales continue despite ban

Vendors selling Plaster-of-Paris figurines of the deity claim they have had no trouble with the authorities

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Plastic-wrapped Ganesha idols for sale at a pop-up shop (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

Chennai: The sale of banned Plaster-of-Paris idols continues in the city, ahead of the Ganesha Chaturthi festival, even as the use of eco-friendly and non-toxic alternatives is on the rise.

Pavement shops selling Ganesha idols made of non-biodegradable Plaster-of-Paris (PoP) have sprung up in various parts of the city, despite the 2017 Madras High Court guidelines banning its use due to environmental repercussions.

Mylapore resident Karthik has set up a makeshift display of PoP idols in a parking lot near Kapaleeshwarar temple, with the help of Maharashtra-based businessman Mahesh Upadhye.

Upadhye claimed that he sources the idols from artisans in villages around Pune and transports them to Chennai in lorries.

His family-run enterprise called Shravani Concepts, based out of a residential bungalow in Shenoy Nagar, has been involved in selling PoP idols to interested buyers, both directly and through suppliers across the city, including at Mylapore, Anna Nagar and Sowcarpet, for two years now.

Upadhye’s brother Dinesh said, “So far, there have been no problems with the authorities or the Pollution Control Board.”

Although PoP idols have not completely disappeared, most shops in the city sell only idols made out of paper-mache, clay, or a combination of both. The colours used are also water-soluble and made from non-toxic, natural dyes.

Mohammad Arif, who works at Preeti Handicrafts in Mylapore said, “There are regular checks by the government, so we sell only paper-based idols.”

Artisan couple V Vijaya and P Veeraraghavan from idol hub Kosapet use only clay mixed with paper in their molds. Their associate Nagaraj said, “Jayalalitha banned artificial clay long back. Since then, all over Kosapet, nobody uses it.”

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has, recently, issued guidelines allowing only idols made from eco-friendly materials and containing no chemical coating to be immersed in water bodies.

Taking the eco-friendly one step further, Chennai-based NGO Sevalaya has also begun to supply Ganesha idols made out of compost, and filled with herb seeds. According to a report in the Hindu, these idols can be immersed in a pot after the festivities.