Mysuru administration sounds green festive alert
Mysuru
As the city and district gear up for the Gauri-Ganesh festival, the district administration has urged citizens to celebrate the festival in an eco-friendly manner by installing only clay idols painted with natural colours and staying away from plaster of Paris (PoP) and chemically coloured idols.
Additional Deputy Commissioner R. Aishwarya, who chaired a preparatory meeting on the Gauri-Ganesh festival at her office here on Tuesday, said the district administration, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) had jointly issued stringent guidelines to prevent environmental pollution during the festivities.
The manufacture, sale, transportation and immersion of idols made of PoP and those painted with chemical colours containing heavy metals have been completely prohibited. Those violating the rules would face criminal cases under Section 279 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), she warned.
No licence for PoP idol sellers
The ADC said the administration will not issue trade licences to shops involved in manufacturing or selling PoP idols and strict checks should also be conducted at border check-posts to prevent the entry of PoP idols into the district from neighbouring States. The MCC health officials and zonal commissioners to form teams in coordination with the police and conduct raids on unauthorised idol-making units. PoP idols found during such inspections should be seized and penalties imposed on the violators, she warned.
Aishwarya said immersion of PoP or chemically coloured idols in natural water bodies such as rivers, lakes and wells has been strictly banned. Idols worshipped at homes should be immersed within the premises, while public idols must be immersed only in mobile immersion tanks or artificial ponds designated by the civic authorities.
Committees installing Gauri-Ganesh idols in public places must obtain prior permission from the concerned local bodies, including the MCC, city municipalities or gram panchayats, as well as the police department.
No loudspeakers after 10 pm
She said the administration has also prohibited the use of single-use plastic, flex materials and plastic decorations in festival pandals. To ensure public peace and prevent noise pollution, the use of loudspeakers and microphones has been completely prohibited between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Before immersing idols, devotees must separate wet puja materials, including flowers, fruits and banana stems, and hand it over to local-body waste collection vehicles.
Aishwarya appealed to citizens to choose eco-friendly clay idols, celebrate the festival with devotion and ensure that religious celebrations do not come at the cost of the environment.
Additional Superintendent of Police C. Mallik, officials of the KSPCB, district and taluk panchayat officials and others attended the meeting.