Before we tackle the reasons Ganesha idols are harming the environment, let us first inform you that Ganesha idols are considered to bring success and good fortune for those having them. They are the most worshiped in Hindu pantheon. So, how could these Gods made into what looks likes dolls harm the environment?…
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today people asked people to avoid using Ganesha idols made of (POP) during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival., and suggested they use Eco-friendly Ganeshas instead. According to him, idols made out of POP damage aquatic life and the environment to a huge extent.
Modi said in his “Mann ki Baat” radio address: “Festival is the time of self evaluation and they need to change with time. Environment is damaged due to immersion of POP idols. Lets go back to old traditions and adopt idols made of pond clay,” adding that “the same should be applied for Durga idols”.
POP
- POP or Persistent organic pollutants are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes.
- The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants was adopted and put into practice by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on May 22, 2001.
- The UNEP decided that POP regulation needed to be addressed globally for the future.
