INDIA, August 23, 2014 (The Hindu): Every year, weeks before Ganesh Chaturthi, the word ‘eco-friendly’ garners more attention than the festival itself. Social organisations, NGOs and government bodies embark on campaigns vociferously advocating the use of eco-friendly Ganeshas. But, this trend of ‘going green’ seems to have reversed in Bommala Colony, as statues makers there pay a hefty price for embracing environmentalism.
The colony, situated on the outskirts of the temple city, is known for its eco-friendly Ganeshas and is frequented by people. Of late, the introduction of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols in the region has dampened the statue makers’ spirit, as people have been opting for shiny statues instead of the eco-friendly ones. “Making statues from naturally available items is hard work (it takes more than six months) and requires huge godowns for storage. A drizzle can melt an entire statue within minutes. On the contrary, PoP statues can be made in a jiffy and can withstand the rigours of nature,” says statue maker Sabhari, hastening his work on a statue, apprehensive about the overcast conditions.
Lamenting the indifference of officials, Mr. Sabhari maintained that all their pleas to ban PoP statues had fallen on deaf ears. “Over the years, we have approached several officials, but none of them took steps to resolve the issue. Their apathy sometimes makes us question ourselves – what is the use of being environment friendly,” he adds. According to him, a complete ban on the use of PoP statues, implemented in states like Tamil Nadu, will address the issue effectively.