Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: How does idol immersion impact the environment?

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most popular Hindu festivals that is celebrated with great fervour in many parts of India, especially Maharashtra. This occasion is all about worshipping the elephant-headed Lord Ganesha. Devotees bring Ganesh idol in their home to worship and offer prayers to the god.

Sweets like Modaks are offered to the god as prasad and then distributed to devotees from the pandals. This occasion takes place for 11 days after which the idol is immersed in a river or the sea and the ceremony is called as “visarjan”. But when we talk about idol immersion, often we ignore the fact of damaging our environment. Idol immersion occurs every year and damages our water bodies and ecology.

Here’s how idol immersion impacts our environment:

1.Ganesh idol is made with plaster of Paris, cement and plastic. It is decorated with paint, flowers and other ornamental items. When we immerse this idol in the water, it takes years to dissolve. Then all the toxic materials of the idol badly damage the water bodies impacting the environment. Plaster of Paris contains calcium sulphate hemihydrate, which reduces the oxygen level of the water and kills fish and other aquatic animals.

2.The toxic paints used on the Ganesh idol often contain heavy metals like lead and mercury that increase the acidic level of water, which highly damages the marine life.

3.Flowers, metal jewellery and other decorative items are also immersed in water during the visarjan and they also ruin the ecosystem. The flowers have fertilisers and pesticides which pollute the water bodies.

What should we do?

We should first opt for an eco-friendly Ganesh idol that is non-polluting and bio-degradable. Apart from that, alternative water tanks can save the rivers and seas from getting damaged by toxic items.