Eco Friendly Ganesh Chaturthi

vIndianz.com (Sept. 08,2009) –The 10-day long religious festival of Ganesha Chaturthi is becoming eco-friendly.

Schools, environmentalists are encouraging “greener” celebrations instead of using firecrackers, toxic paints and idols made of non-recyclable material. They are learning to make eco-friendly idols.

The statues of Ganesha, made of brightly painted plaster of Paris, are usually immersed in the sea that contains chemicals such as gypsum, sulphur, phosphorus, and magnesium. The dyes used to colour the idols contain mercury, cadmium, arsenic, lead, and carbon. Plastic and thermocol accessories are used to decorate these idols. Such materials are non-recyclable and not biodegradable.

But now they are opting for smaller clay idols which they immerse in water at home.

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