Ganesh Chaturthi is just around the corner and as seen every year, artisans all over continue to lament the unavailability/high cost of clay, one of the main raw materials needed for eco-friendly Ganesha idol making, especially since idols made out of Plaster of Paris (PoP) are banned. The ban, however, is not a new development. The government of Goa, banned the manufacture, import and sale of PoP idols back in 2008 by implementing Section 5 of India's Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Ten years later, evidence indicates that the ban has worked. But rather than getting creative and finding other alternatives that are just as environmentally-friendly as clay, Ganesha artisans continue to complain.
One option that can be used is paper mache, the raw material for which is easily and widely available and the finished product much-lighter than either of the earlier options. A 2-feet paper mache idol would weigh 3kg, PoP would be 7-8 kg and a clay idol would weigh up to 14kg. Other alternatives include cow dung - considered sacred in Hindu rituals and which can also be used to control water pollution and enrich the soil as well as water bodies, saw dust and even bamboo chips. To take the eco-friendly theme even further, idols can be filled with organic seeds and painted with natural vegetable dyes rather than toxic paints which leach lead, chromium, mercury and iron into the environment.
