During the Ganesh festival in 2023, PoP idols will be completely prohibited in all areas under the jurisdiction of the BMC.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has mandated before Ganesha Chaturthi that the residents and those in charge of organising various pandals only submerge the idols in artificial lakes.
As per BMC order, "Domestic Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) will be required to be immersed in an artificial lake. It is also required that these idols bear the inscription 'Plaster of Paris' so they can be identified during immersion ."
According to a statement issued by BMC zone-2 deputy commissioner Harshad Kale, it will be mandatory beginning next year to buy and sell idols made only of environmentally friendly materials such as 'shadu clay.'
Furthermore, it stated that during the Ganesh festival in 2023, PoP idols would be completely prohibited in all areas under the jurisdiction of the BMC.
Before the Ganesh celebration, the city government declared a complete ban on PoP idols in the city last month. On Monday, the civic council reversed its previous decision during a meeting with the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samiti, an umbrella organisation of numerous Ganesh mandals.
The BMC stated in the announcement that permission had been granted to buy and sell Lord Ganesha PoP idols as "a special case" for this year's Ganeshotsav, which will take place after two years of COVID-19 restrictions. However, it will be "completely prohibited" beginning the following year.
According to a press release, the city council will approve the construction of the Ganpati pandals online through a single-window system.
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