Bengaluru Leaders Demand Action Against Illegal Plaster of Paris Ganesha Idol Makers

Ahead of the upcoming festive season, environmental activists and local leaders in Bengaluru neighborhoods including Rajajinagar and RT Nagar are demanding that authorities take proactive measures to stop the illegal manufacture of Plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganesha idols. Activists argue that current enforcement is reactive and ineffective, calling for coordinated raids on manufacturing units before the toxic idols reach local markets.

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) banned the manufacture and sale of PoP Ganesha idols more than a decade ago. Three years ago, the state government decided to invoke stringent provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act against those making, selling, and immersing them. However, the manufacture, sale, and immersion of these idols have continued across the city.

Shobha Bhat of the Usiru Foundation stated that all concerned departments must work as a team to end the issue. She urged authorities to conduct raids directly on the manufacturing units to stop the idols before they enter the city.

Sowmya Raghavan, a member of the Rotary Club of RT Nagar, also demanded that authorities target the production phase rather than just raiding retail shops. Currently, areas such as Potter Town, VV Puram, KR Market, Mysore Road, and Kammanahalli remain known for selling PoP Ganesha idols.

Rajajinagar MLA S Suresh Kumar recently wrote to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, urging action against the illegal idols following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for eco-friendly celebrations. Kumar noted that the civic body, formerly the BBMP, traditionally makes ban announcements only after the idols have already entered the market, causing environmental damage during immersion.

According to Kumar, Chief Commissioner Rao has assured him that the GBA will take suitable measures to stop the sale and immersion of PoP Ganesha idols. Meanwhile, a resident of Annaswamy Mudaliar alleged that PoP idol-making units operate throughout the year on Bengaluru's outskirts, claiming that some KSPCB environmental engineers have been colluding with the operators.