Hyderabad Celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi with Eco-Friendly Idols and On-Site Immersion

 Hyderabad: Several colonies and youth organisations in Hyderabad are leading by example, not just in celebrations but also in promoting sustainability and eco-friendliness.

Many people in the city have shifted towards eco-friendly Ganesh idols and are adopting an innovative method of immersion within the same pandals, using water tankers and pipes.

The idols were made using dry grass, clay layers, and mud for finishing. Cotton cloth was used to prevent cracks, and the idols were coated in white and painted with eco-friendly colours.

This marks a shift from the regular practice of setting up Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) and immersing them in Hussain Sagar, nearby lakes, or ponds in the city.

People have opted for this new initiative not just to protect the environment from the harmful effects of PoP idols but also to create awareness among the public.

One such eco-friendly Ganesh idol has been set up by the Sri Ganesh Yuva Baktha Mandal at New Gaddiannaram in P&T Colony. Doing away with the regular practice of installing PoP idols, the association opted for a 38-foot clay Ganesh idol.

“Earlier, we used to set up PoP idols and immerse them in Saroornagar Lake. Since the lake is already polluted, we decided to install an eco-friendly Ganesh idol and complete immersion at the pandal itself. As we perform pujas, it does not feel right immersing the idol in polluted water,” Sri Ganesh Yuva Baktha Mandal founder B. Narayan Rao Vanjari told Deccan Chronicle.

“After immersion, we use the mud for plants. This way, the lake is not polluted and the idol is not immersed in dirty water,” Narayan Rao added.

Similarly, the Vigneshwara Welfare and Youth Association has been setting up eco-friendly Ganesh idols for the past three years and completing immersion at the same site.

“This year, we installed a 25-foot Ganesh idol on the Saroornagar Lake bund. While the cost of an eco-friendly idol is the same as that of a PoP idol, it saves the environment and avoids extra expenses like hiring a vehicle for immersion,” said association member Ch. Madhusudan Reddy.

Nagole-based Tiranga Youth Association president Sai Kumar said that this year they installed a 63-foot eco-friendly Ganesh idol named Vishwasena Maha Ganapati. Last year, a 54-foot idol was set up, which required five water tankers for immersion.

“Around 15 artisans worked for 50 days, using about five tonnes of mud for each idol,” said artisan Sukumar Pal, who was the chief artisan of the P&T Colony and Saroornagar Colony Ganesh idols.