People go for eco-friendly Ganesh idols for home amidst Covid-19 pandemic

@santosheemishra 

Mumbai:

Keeping in view the coronavirus pandemic and guidelines issued by the Mumbai city corporation body on celebration and immersion ceremonies of domestic Lord Ganesh idols, people are refraining themselves from plaster of paris idols. 

The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has requested people for Ganesh festival falling in August month to adhere to use idols of clay, metal or even marble idols instead of using plaster of paris. 

The association -Shri Ganesh Murtikar and Commercial Kalyankari Mandal 

( SGMCKL) from Pen taluka in Raigad district famous for making Ganesh idols world-wide has told that people in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and Aurangabad are preferring eco-friendly Ganesh idols for this year Ganeshotsav . 

Shrikant Deodhar the President of the association SGMCKL told TheNews21 that it is although loss to Ganesh Idol makers who have already prepared plaster of paris idols but it is good sign that people are going eco-friendly this year. 

Deodhar said,” The demand from cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and Aurangabad is of smaller sized Ganpati idols. People prefer two-feet size Lord Ganesh idols. They are strictly adhering to the norms issued by the state government of using eco-friendly, metal or marble ones idols.”

In Mumbai, BMC had warned people to avoid crowd gathering as that may lead to the spread of COVID-19 and use eco-friendly Ganesh idols of size two-feet maximum for domestic celebration during Ganeshotsav. It also stated that violators may invite strict action under relevant sections of the Epidemic Act 1897, the Disaster Management Act of 2005 and the Indian Penal Code.

“The two-feet sized idols are easy to immerse in bucket for home. Thus it is huge demand by people. The vehicles are playing on daily basis from Pen to other cities and districts of Maharashtra however even Ganesh idol makers are in fear of spread of coronavirus. Already in loss due to pandemic, the Nisarg cyclone too has hit the artists of Pen taluka. The sell has dipped very low as much as 40% this year for home-installed Ganesh idols, “added Deodhar.