Ganesh Chaturthi festivities in the city are poised to get a green, earthy touch this year. Taking the concept of eco-friendly Ganesha to the next level, Hyderabad's green warriors have come up with 'Tree Ganeshas' to minimise pollution of water bodies. The idea is simple — the clay idols are affixed with an easy-to-remove potted sapling. After the festival gets over, the idol is immersed in a bucket of water. When it starts to disintegrate and turns into mud, it can be used for planting the same sapling that comes with it.
Members of a city-based lake conservation group, Live The Lakes, distributed Tree Ganeshas to a bunch of environment conscious citizens last Saturday. "The initiative is aimed at minimising pollution of water bodies, especially Hussain Sagar during the festival season," explains group founder Kalpana Ramesh. She says over 50,000 idols mostly made from plaster of Paris, metallic paints and a host of
toxic materials, were immersed in the lake last year, posing a serious threat to aquatic life.
"We are enlisting the help of corporates for free distribution of a few thousand Tree Ganeshas to be handed to the fisher folk and slum-dwellers living by the lakes," says Kalpana, adding that the idols are being made by local artists in Amberpet and Lumbini Park and can cost you anywhere between Rs 300 and Rs 6,000 depending on the size and make.
While she says city-based environmentalists Gouri Shankar and Vishala Gummaluru introduced the idea to the group, it is Dattadri Kothur, a Mumbai-based sculptor from Nizamabad, who is credited for creating the first Tree Ganesha three years ago. He crafts idols using red soil, organic fertilisers and vegetable seeds at the base. Ranging from nine to 18 inches, the eco-friendly Ganesha statues are priced between `2,200 and `4,500.
"I have been receiving around 100 orders from Hyderabad each year and wish to start a production centre in the city by 2018 since I am unable to meet the delivery for each order from afar," says Dattadri. The artist was prompted to launch the Tree Ganesha initiative after seeing Mumbai's beaches turning into dumping yards post immersion. "There's a similar situation at Tank Bund and other lakes in Hyderabad," he adds.
'Tree Ganesha' or not, the demand for eco-friendly Ganeshas in the city is definitely on the rise, says environment activist Poorna Chand, whose NGO has received orders for over 300 clay idols this year. "Eighty per cent of our orders are from Hyderabad. We are expecting sale of 1,000 big sized idols and 500 smaller ones this season."
Environmentalist Kajal Maheshwari points out that 70 per cent of 400-odd families in her Gachibowli neighbourhood have completely switched to clay statues. "Many families make their own idols; their kids even receive training in school to fashion eco-friendly Ganeshas. Last year, we offered prayers to a Tree Ganesha and will do the same this time too. Hyderabad is slowly but surely picking up eco-friendly ways to celebrate the festival. By doing so, we are adopting a new, sustainable and meaningful practice of observing traditions without hurting our lakes," added Kajal.
