It is learnt that the Excise Department in Goa has reportedly directed all its inspectors at the borders to take action to prevent the entry of vehicles carrying Plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganesh idols into the State. Ganesh idols from neighbouring areas such as Kolhapur, Sawantwadi, Pune in Maharashtra and Belagavi and Karwar are normally imported into Goa during Ganesh Chaturthi. However the Goa government has banned immersion of PoP idols as these idols when immersed do not dissolve or disintegrate fast, thereby causing irreversible environmental effects on the coastal ecology or the ecosystem of any water body. Studies have linked POPs exposures to decline, diseases, or abnormalities in a number of wildlife species. It is pertinent to note that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has banned the use of Plaster of Paris, thermocol and single-use plastic to make or decorate idols. The Goa government needs to promote the production of clay idols which is a dying art kept alive by family traditions.
