Report from Rubiya Shaikh
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Jul 28: Goa is all set to celebrate environment friendly Ganesh chaturthi, which will be celebrated next month.
The state government has banned the manufacture, import and sale of plaster of Paris idols in the state, which are not environment friendly.
The notification is issued by science, environment and technology department under section five of the environment protection act, 1986.
Ganesh Chaturthi, locally known as Chovoth, will be celebrated across the state in Hindu families, next month, wherein Lord Ganesh idol is worshipped in almost all the household.
"We have directed all the concerned enforcement agencies like the Commissioner of Excise, Director of Transport Police, Commissioner (commercial taxes), Director of Municipal Administration, District Collectors and Additional Collectors of both the districts, Director (Industries, Trade and Commerce) and Member Secretary, Goa State Pollution Control Board to inspect and verify and check the manufacture import and sale of Plaster of Paris Ganesh idols," Michael D'Souza, director, department of science environment and technology, said.
He said that the idols of idols of Plaster of Paris are made from hemi hydrated calcium sulphate manufactured by calcinations process and such idols when immersed in water, does not dissolve or disintegrate fast, thereby causing irreversible environment effects on the riverine or coastal ecology or the ecosystem of any water body, which in turn causes adverse environmental effects.
D'Souza said that the phase contains harmful chemicals like lead oxide which effects the quality of water which in turn inhaled by marine or aquatic life causes danger to human life because of consuming fishes which will lead to cancer and skin infections.
The toxic chemicals used in making idols tend to leach out and pose serious problems of water pollution and the studies carried out to assess deterioration in water quality due to immersion of idols have revealed the water quality in respect of conductivity, bio – chemical oxygen demand and concentration of heavy metals he added.