BMC to give immersed PoP idols to cement units for recycling

In a bid to minimise the ecological damage to the sea, the Mumbai civic body has decided to hand over the immersed plaster of paris (PoP) idols of Lord Ganesh to cement factories for recycling. The civic body staffers and some volunteers have collected over 9,400 such idols from the immersions sites in Dadar, Mahim and Shivaji Park areas in Central Mumbai.

"We are planning to compress them into smaller pieces before handing them over to cement factories," a senior civic official said on Saturday. "Stockpile of the immersed idols will be handed over to cement factories. As PoP does not dissolve in water, these idols will become an environmental hazard if left untreated in the sea. Therefore, we have decided to recycle the idols.

These idols will be sent to cement firms for processing as an alternative raw material," he explained. The official added that civic ward officers ensured during the immersion procession on Friday that 'nirmalya' or floral waste does not pile up at sea fronts in the city.

The BMC has received a thumbs up from Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla for prompt removal of waste material, he said. The official also said the number of idols immersed in the sea in Mumbai has come down by five per cent this year compared to 2018.

Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti president Naresh Dahibawkar attributed the decease to ongoing work for laying metro rail network and redevelopment of old buildings..