Seminar on "Eco-friendly celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi"

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A Seminar on "Eco-friendly celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi" was organized on September 8, 2010 by the Nature Club, Department of Biosciences, T. John College, Bangalore. Three students of BSc Biotech, Ms. Shruthi M, Ms. Reeti Ali and Mr. Nishanthan gave a bilingual presentation in Kannada and English to an audience comprising of faculty and students of T. John College and members of local clubs which celebrate this popular festival.

Approximately 50000 idols of Lord Ganesha are immersed each year in fresh water bodies around Bangalore. The speakers highlighted the effects of such large scale immersion on the water bodies and aquatic life.

Plaster-of-paris (POP) used for making idols and plastic flowers and thermocol used for decorating the idols are non-biodegradable and accumulate in and around the water bodies decreasing their aesthetic appeal. Toxic chemicals used in paints may poison the water and disrupt aquatic life. Noise pollution caused by loudspeakers and fireworks and increased power consumption are other concerns associated with the festivities.

The speakers also suggested various methods of making this festival more eco-friendly. Installing unbaked clay idols in place of POP idols, use of traditional oil lamps and paper/fresh flowers for decoration and replacing synthetic paints with vegetable colours are some of these alternatives. The talk ended with a list of places from where Eco-friendly Ganesha idols could be purchased.