Inbid to protect and preserve rivers and water bodies from pollution, the stateof Maharashtra has issued circular asking citizens to celebrate an eco-friendlyGanesh festival.
ButMaharashtra Andhshradha Nirmulan Committee (MANC) is not happy with thegovernment’s effort.
Accordingto the committee members the government has issued the circular in principlebut has lacked the dynamism to implement the decision.
Exceptfor Kolhapur not many districts in Maharashtra have taken the matter veryseriously, MANC said.
Forthe last couple of years MANC has been working tirelessly for the betterment ofenvironment. MANC had strongly recommended that all waste materials likeflowers and even the Ganesh idols should not be dumped into the river.
Butthe good news is that from this year onwards, the whole of Kolhapur will carryout traditional emersion of the idols in the river but the idols will be takenback by the NGO’s keeping in mind the sentiments of the public at large. “Fortunatelythere is good response from the people of Kolhapur,” MANC said.
TheMANC has also recommended a ban in use of poisonous and harmful chemicals inthe paint and opposed idols made up of plaster of Paris. “Considering MANC’s demandthe government has issued notices but has failed to implement the decision,” DrNaresh Dabholkar said.
Initiallya few Hindu organizations opposed donation of idols, but soon fell in lineconsidering the environment aspect of the whole campaign. “The pollution of riverGanga led to change in mind of the Hindu organizations. These organizationshave decided to support the eco-friendly celebration of the festival and withtheir support a pollution free emersion will be carried out in Kolhapur,” MANCmembers said.
Aftermany years Kolhpur will also witness the playing of tradition music instrumentsduring the Ganesh emersion rally. Superintendent of Police, Kolhapur district,Vijaysingh Jadhav has strictly objected the use of high decibel sound duringthe emersion to control the noise pollution.
