1 2 3 Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has announced a reduction in the use of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols during the Ganesh Festival this year, marking a major triumph for environmental conservation . The civic body has also successfully recovered Rs9.2 lakh in fines from shops selling PoP idols, which were found to be in contravention of environmental regulations, as part of its sustained efforts to mitigate water pollution.
The particulars were disclosed in an affidavit submitted by NMC counsel Gemini Kasat in response to a suo motu PIL, which highlighted the escalating pollution in water bodies caused by the immersion of PoP idols, with Shreerang Bhandarkar appointed as amicus curiae. Deputy municipal commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Gajendra Mahalle's affidavit affirmed that the corporation has adopted a collaborative approach to this issue, remaining steadfast in its commitment to environmental protection. The NMC is resolute in its endeavour to curtail water pollution resulting from the immersion of idols, particularly those constructed from detrimental materials such as PoP.
As per NMC's zone-wise data on idol immersions for this year's festival, an impressive 97.18% of the idols were crafted from eco-friendly clay, while a mere 2.82% were made from PoP.
This constitutes a marked decline in the utilisation of PoP idols compared to the preceding year, when 4.84% of the idols were fashioned from this material. In absolute terms, out of the 1,66,918 i.