Some of the best examples of eco-friendly Ganesh idols can be seen at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Powai.
Over a week from September 6, a unique workshop called Navsrijan was held at the IIT campus, where participants made Ganesh idols with clay taken from Powai lake. Come Ganesh Chaturthi, these idols will be immersed back into the lake.
A clutch of organisations—the Save Powai Lake Committee, the Ladies Club of IIT, the Anken and Devi Temple Committees—came together for the workshop to save the lake from pollution caused by the yearly immersions during Ganesh Chaturthi.
‘‘What we are trying to instill into the people is that whatever we take from nature must be returned,’’ explains Rashmi Misra, chairperson of the Devi Temple Committee.
Amar Singh, a twenty-eight year-old member of the Anken Temple Committee, took to eco-friendly Ganesh-modelling because he was tired of seeing Powai lake go from bad to worse. ‘‘I felt if Vihar lake can be clean, then so can our Powai lake,’’ he says.
Over the years, the immersion of idols made with non-biodegradable materials like plaster of Paris and chemical paints has polluted the lake. IITians have already participated in the Save Powai Lake campaign by de-weeding one bank of the lake.
In the last three years, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has given over Rs 6 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for a systematic clean-up.
A sense of respect for the lake has also developed. ‘‘We were pleased to observe a sense of reverence being developed for the lake among the participants,’’ feels Misra.
‘‘We hope the entire city takes up these eco-friendly measures. Ultimately, we are to benefit from it,’’ he says.