File photo of an artist crafting a Ganesha idol made of plaster of Paris (PoP)
Environment and ecology minister Ramalinga Reddy said, “North Bengaluru, comprising Yelahanka, Byatarayanapura, Doddaballapur, Dasarahalli and Nelamangala, had 850 PoP Ganesha idols at nine locations. Similarly, within Bengaluru city limits, our officials seized 60 Ganesha idols made of PoP and crushed all of them. In Bengaluru South (Ramanagara) limits comprising RR Nagar, Ramanagara and Mandya too, our officials seized 312 Ganesha idols made of PoP out of which 300 were from RR Nagar limits. In total, 98% of the PoP idols found in Karnataka have been seized in Bengaluru alone.
The minister said KSPCB vigilance teams would continue to keep a close watch on idol-making units, storage centres and markets to identify PoP Ganesha idols and prevent them from reaching consumers during the festival season. Officials said the enforcement teams would focus on identifying manufacturers, storage centres and sellers of PoP idols and prevent them from entering the market, while encouraging the use of traditional clay and other eco-friendly alternatives. Bengaluru: Ahead of the Ganesha festival, the environment and ecology department has stepped up its crackdown on idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP). It formed special enforcement teams in Bengaluru and eight other cities across Karnataka to prevent their production, sale and use. Our officials seized and destroyed all of them. The crackdown comes amid concerns over the environmental impact of PoP idols, particularly their immersion in lakes and other water bodies after the festival. Unlike traditional clay idols, PoP does not dissolve easily in water and can settle at the bottom of lakes, affecting water quality and aquatic ecosystems.