Thermocol ban renders makhar makers with no other option

Nanasaheb Shendkar with a makhar made of cardboard. Photo/Atul Kamble

Nanasaheb Shendkar will attest that thermocol was his greatest friend and darkest enemy. A reputable name for Ganeshotsav decorations in the city, Shendkar talks of the first time he used a thermocol sheet as a student at the Sir JJ School of Art in the late 1970s. "I made R500 from my thermocol decorations, and used a fifth of it to pay my semester fees," he says. Nostalgia takes a grave turn, however, when he talks about a decorative arts factory he set up in 1980 in Lonimavla, the village in Ahmednagar where he grew up. "It was good business for the village, but, I also saw how the ponds were filling up with thermocol, how the karigars were suffering health problems, and how the air was getting polluted. And then, my factory burned down in 2001," he says.

"What remained of the factory were just 20 truckloads of thermocol waste. That's when I decided to shut it down. My decision didn't stem from a need to be environment-friendly, though I had felt I was doing something harmful. Now, after 20 years, the government has shown us the path," says Shendkar. Mumbai is known for its boisterous Ganeshotsav celebrations, during which we have come to expect glitzy decorations and makhars (elaborate temple-like structures that house the idols). Even homes have a small-scale, domestic version of these. The government's ban on plastic and thermocol, announced on March 23 this year, is a welcome step. But, possibly at the cost of the livelihoods of the artisans who make decorative items, starting from Ganeshotsav right up to Navratri and Diwali.

Thermocol of various decorative shapes lying around in a workshop

A dull Ganeshotsav
About 10 days ago, the Bombay High Court turned down a petition filed by the Thermocol Fabricator, Trader and Decoration Association, which sought a relaxation on the ban for the festivities in September. Idris Shayer, the secretary of the association, is dismayed that the government hasn't found a solution for the thousands of decorators across Maharashtra who have been affected by the ban. Shayer, who has been in the business of making makhars for 25 years, was in Nagpur last week, for talks with the government. "We are not against the thermocol ban, but our business is only during this festival season. We cannot even sell in another state because no one celebrates the Ganesh festival like we do," he tells us.

mid-day spoke to several decorators as well as those who sculpt thermocol for packaging. The business expects a huge loss in the coming weeks, with some decorators claiming about R4 lakh and others claiming R20 lakh, should the high court not relax the ban till the festival is over. Among them, is Deepak Kadam, who runs his business from Dadar. He says that half a year's worth of work now lies doomed. He voices what most decorators feel is a prejudice in the ban - that while the material that sustains their business has to be eschewed, those who use it for packaging have been untouched. "At Dadar, you will find the flower market using thermocol to transport flowers, electronics shops use thermocol for their goods, and the fish market uses it to keep fish fresh. It feels like only our business has been targeted," he says.

A Ganpati thermocol makhar

But, these decorators will also tell you of the time when there was no thermocol for Ganeshotsav. Kiran Korde, the president of Shree Gajanan Thermocol Sajavat Kalakar Seva Sanstha, another association, says, "When I was young, there was no thermocol. People used clay, leaves and flowers and we made decorations together." Decorator Arun Darekar, of Dadar's Chhabildas Galli, where Ganeshotsav decoration material is sought out, says there was a time when all that an idol had was a rotating chakra. "I used to assist artists, who used to make these chakras. Then came the simhasan [throne]. The public wanted more and more elaborate backgrounds and thermocol started coming in," he says.

A very viable alternative
Shendkar, who runs his business multi-storey building in Parel's Ganesh Gully, says decorators are focusing too much on the ban instead of looking at alternatives. Since he shut down the factory, Shendkar has been using cardboard as an alternative, to create intricate designs on the makhars. The best part is that his makhars are foldable and can be easily recycled, unlike thermocol. "With this ban, there is a chance for families to come together and use natural materials, or buy makhars made of paper that can be assembled at home. It can be just like the old days," he says. Korde says that next year, they will follow the high court's directives and look into corrugated MDF (medium density fibreboard) paper (which is like hardboard) as alternatives. But, he wonders, for now, how will the government compensate their losses?

Idris Shayer

Mar 23
Day the state govt announced the ban on plastic & thermocol

No to thermocol
Thermocol is a kind of Expanded Polystyrene (a rigid cellular plastic) with several demerits, such as:

• It is non-biodegradable, so reduces soil quality
• It is light, so a prime source of marine debris
• It releases poisonous gases upon burning
• It adversely affects the respiratory health of workers dealing with it

Kiran Korde

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