To encourage the people to install clay Ganesh idols at Ganesh pandals, the forum is also extending Rs 1,000 cash prize to the organisers to setup clay Ganesh idols. With its initiative, clay Ganesh idols are installed in 30 Ganesh pandals in Nalgonda and in 12 pandals at Narketpally in the district for the last festival. In addition to this, clay Ganesh idols were also setup in a few pandals at Chityal, Narketpally, Devarakonda, Saligowraram and Lingotam villages.

It has taken out awareness rallies in the towns asking people to switch to clay Ganesh idols every year. It also distributed pamphlets explaining how the Plaster of Paris made Ganesh idols would pollute water bodies.

Speaking to Tabloid Today, KanukuntlaVidhya Sagar Reddy told that, though the organisers were interested to instal clay Ganesh idols at their pandals, getting them was expensive compared to the PoP once. Hence, we are extending Rs 1,000 to such pandalorganisers and also helping in transportation of clay Ganesh idols from Hyderabad to their places. Expressing strong concern over the decision of the government to selected small water bodies like village tanks for immersion of Ganesh idols, he felt that it would cause pollution of the water in the tanks as well as show impact on ground water.

Fishes in the waters would also die with the chemical contamination, he says. e informed that they have also conducted eco-friendly Ganesh idols immersion by melting down the clay Ganesh idols with milk at the place of the pandals. “We have been distributing small size clay Ganesh idols to the people free of cost every year,” he adds. Vidhyasagar informs that the forum has also taken up awareness campaign on the ill effects of usage of chemical colours on the health, if they were used for Holi festival. “We were also celebrating eco-friendly holi by celebrating the festival with natural colors,” he says.