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In spite of all the raids conducted by the BBMP and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the sale of POP Ganesh idols continue.
The sales of POP Ganesh idols continue even after the ban was implemented by the Karnataka High court in 2017. This industry is back in business as the manufacturers say that it is the customer’s demand.
The owners and the workers of the manufacturing units say that it is much better to use POP than clay. They say that clay idols get easily damaged and start rotting after some time. Because of these reasons, customers prefer POP idols.
Mr. Sanjay.R.Vyas, a customer said, “The mud Ganesha has a lot of weight whereas the POP Ganesha is weightless. Also, they look nice and most importantly they get recycled”.
Concerning this issue, the Senior Environment Officer of the KSPCB, Mr. Prabhudeva said, “It is a very sensitive issue and cannot be imposed strictly. People should co-operate with the government and accept the laws otherwise, it is very difficult”.
This matter regarding the usage and effect of POP on the environment is something which authorities and environmentalists have been working on for some time now like, the record made for the most number of Ganesh clay idols made and the number of POP idols have actually gone down, but still the problem exists. A lot of chemicals like oil paints, poster paints are used in the process which pollutes the environment.
Mr. Akshay Heblikar, an environmentalist said, “It is not only the responsibility of the government but also of the citizens. The implementation of this ban or law or rule should be in total. There are so many NGOs that should play their part and educate the citizens regarding this issue”.
The manufacturers, plan to export these idols to other states like Maharastra and Tamil Nadu, which do not have stringent rules and regulations regarding the manufacturing and selling of these idols.
