Ahead of the Gowri-Ganesh festival (slated for August 24 and 25), the authorities conducted a random drive to implement the ban on sale of plaster of Paris (PoP) idols on Wednesday.

The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) personnel visited a few areas in the city where Ganesh idols are traditionally manufactured and sold and inspected them for the use of ecologically hazardous material like PoP and application of chemical and lead-based paints whose use is banned.

“Random drive did not yield a single idol made of PoP and years of awareness drive and strict enforcement of ban has had the desired affect on traders who have eschewed the PoP idols in favour of those made of clay,” MCC Health Officer Nagaraj said.

The MCC team visited Gokulam, Paduvarahalli, and a few other places where the Ganesh idols are manufactured and also sold to retailers en masse. The drive will continue till the culmination of the festival and so as to ensure that PoP idols are not brought and sold in the city.

While the local artisans have taken to manufacturing of clay idols, the wholesale dealers, who procure these giant and life-size idols from Kolar, Yeshwantpur in Bengaluru, and surrounding places, too have opted for clay idols, Mr. Nagaraj added.

A few sample idols were immersed in water and they dissolved but the sample of paintings have been sent to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board office in Mysuru. If the content has banned chemicals, then these idols would be seized, according to MCC officials.