Going green our priority, say city mandals

While the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat programme on Sunday urged Ganesh Mandals to celebrate an eco-friendly Ganesh festival, Mumbai’s mandals have declared that it has been the priority for this year’s celebrations. Mr Modi had urged mandals to opt for clay idols, and forfeit use of idols made from plaster of Paris.

Naresh Dahibawkar of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvaya Samiti said, “An environment-friendly programme has been on our mind and we have already instructed all Ganesh mandals to go green this season. Pandals will explore various themes within the ambit of environment-friendly decorations.”

However, others have expressed concern regarding this issue. Prominent mandals who do not wish to come forward and be named have said, “We have already got the idol. Not that it is not environment friendly as the paint we have used is water soluble and will not harm marine life upon immersion, but we cannot make clay idols as they have already been made.”

He continued to say that this would be the case with most prominent mandals as they begin making their idols several months before the festival. Meanwhile Dahibavkar said, “All idols are environment friendly in many ways. So we need not worry.”

Meanwhile, pandals this year have decided to explore other themes to send out social messages, and the most pursued one is the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan. President of Lalbaugcha Raja, Bala Saheb Kamble said, “From the various social messages we intend to carry this time, the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan is a very good initiative which will get prominent display on the electronic display board, and in the form of banners.”