The Kolhapur division of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued various directives to the civic body as well as mandalas on the upcoming Ganesh festival celebrations. The MPCB also stressed on issues such as using fibre instead of soil for making idols, exchanging idols within neighbouring villages and renting out idols among others.

On July 8, the board had called a meeting of officials of the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC), Ichalkaranji Municipal Council as well as local environmentalists to discuss and undertake preventive measures to avoid pollution without disturbing sentiments of the people.

Manish Holkar, deputy divisional officer of Kolhapur MPCB, told TOI, "Last year, the MPCB and supporting NGOs collected as many as 84,000 ganesh idols, which were later disposed properly. It could have caused serious water pollution had they been immersed in the Panchganga or any other water body."...........Read more

Source web page: Times of India