Ganeshotsav: Mumbai's civic body bans domestic Ganpati idols made of Plaster of Paris

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Mumbai's civic body on Thursday banned domestic Ganpati idols made of Plaster of Paris and said such idols with a height of up to four feet must be made of 'shadu' (fine, dry clay) soil and eco-friendly materials.

The decision, which was taken during a meeting chaired by municipal commissioner IS Chahal, was aimed at promoting environmentally friendly Ganeshotsav celebrations this year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said in a release.

"As part of the initiative, Chahal has instructed civic officials to provide free space in each ward for the production of eco-friendly Ganpati idols. To encourage idol makers to adopt eco-friendly practices, he has directed officials to offer a free supply of Shadu soil on trial basis," the release informed.

The civic body has also announced a waiver of fees and deposits for erecting Ganpati pandals.

The BMC had last year given permission as a special case to buy and sell PoP Ganpati idols but had said at the time that such idols would be completely banned from next year (2023).

In 2022, the BMC had made it mandatory for all such PoP idols to be immersed only in artificial lakes.