BENGALURU: Following court orders to ensure a clean and green Gowri-Ganesha festival, various government agencies have started seizing Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols. But the agencies now face a dilemma as to how the idols should be disposed of.
Till date, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), district administrations and city corporations have seized around 5,000 PoP idols in the state, most of them from Ramanagara, which supplies to Bengaluru, and North Karnataka districts.
Experts said that such idols were seized earlier too, but there is no information on how they were disposed of. They said other facilities too are not ready yet for the festival.
A volunteer from Friends of Lake, Ram Prasad, told the TNIE, “Merely filling up kalyanis for idol immersion is not preparation. There should be a division of kalyanis for immersion, depending on the size. The number of idols has increased since 2016, but the infrastructure or procedures followed by civic bodies have not changed in all these years. Clay idols cannot be over 3 ft, but idols immersed in kalyanis are larger. In 2016, idol-makers and sellers had given a written undertaking not to manufacture or sell PoP idols. Yet, such idols continue to be seized. No one knows what is happening to the seized idols.”
As per environmental rules, PoP products should be sent to construction and debris (C&D) waste processing units for treatment and recycling. Head of Rock Crystals, a C&D waste processing unit in Kannur, Rajesh K, said that prior to Covid, raw materials came in for recycling. However, now, the quantity has reduced. Recollecting the recent Hebbal flyover flooding, Rajesh added that not just PoP, even C&D waste is being dumped around, and not sent to processing units.
A KSPCB official, requesting anonymity, said, “Court orders passed in 2023 clearly state that PoP idols should be destroyed. But we do not know how. It is a religious issue. No crushing unit is ready to accept the idols. At present, they are stocked up at various well-guarded locations. No official wants to take any decision on it.”
Also, there is no clarity on which department is handling idol immersion. Experts said that within BBMP, several departments are handling it. “The government has not been able to ensure a single-window system since 2016,” they added.
BBMP Chief Engineer, Lakes, Vijay Kumar said the city has 40 kalyanis, where idols can be immersed. “The larger idols should go to Yediyur, Sankey and Ulsoor lakes. For the remaining idols, zonal engineers look after the arrangement. Waste management rests with the solid waste management department.”
BBMP Special Commissioner, Health, Vikas Suralkar, said they are sensitising people about large idols with the help p