Immersing PoP or chemically painted Ganesha idols can mean up to six years in jail, says KSPCB
The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has said that immersing Ganesha idols made of plaster of Paris (PoP), decorated with chemical or heavy-metal-based paints, or coated with single-use plastic or thermocol in any water body is a violation of law. Such violations attract a penalty and imprisonment ranging from a minimum of one-and-a-half years to a maximum of six years.
The caution comes ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, when idols are installed in homes and public pandals and later immersed in lakes, rivers, wells, tanks and the sea.
According to the Board, idols made of PoP and painted with chemical or heavy-metal-based colours do not dissolve naturally in water. Their immersion depletes dissolved oxygen and increases permanent water hardness. The idols also release toxic heavy metals — among them mercury, arsenic, lead, chromium, copper, cadmium, cobalt and zinc — into water bodies. This harms aquatic life and poses a severe risk to public health.
The KSPCB said it has directed local bodies to strictly prohibit the manufacture, storage, sale, distribution, display and use of Ganesha idols made of PoP or decorated with chemical or heavy-metal-based paints, or coated with single-use plastic or thermocol.
Instead, it said, idols must be made using natural clay or soil and other biodegradable, eco-friendly materials.
On waste management, the Board has asked that flowers, leaves, cloth, decorative items and other pooja materials be removed from the idol before immersion. To make segregation easier, colour-coded waste bins must be provided at every designated immersion site for the separate collection of waste.
Local bodies have also been told to carry out advance inspections of idol manufacturing units, storage warehouses and sales outlets before the festival. PoP idols found being manufactured, stored or offered for sale will be seized, and legal action will be initiated against the individuals or entities concerned.
Individuals, manufacturers, traders or event organisers who violate these directives face the closure and seizure of their manufacturing units, and their operations will be halted, the KSPCB said. The Environmental Officer of the Board's Mangaluru Regional Office said in a release that appropriate legal action would be taken against those who violate the directives.
The directions follow a wider national and State-level framework. The Central Pollution Control Board has asked all States and Union Territories to encourage the use of idols made from natural, biodegradable and eco-friendly materials, specifically natural clay. The Karnataka government has completely banned the manufacture, sale and immersion of PoP idols coated with heavy-metal-based chemical paints across the State. The High Court of Karnataka has directed strict and complete enforcement of this ban.
The measures reflect a growing concern over the effect of festival waste on water bodies. Clay idols dissolve gradually in water and are considered far less damaging to aquatic ecosystems, whereas PoP idols and synthetic paints leave behind residues that persist in lakes and rivers long after the festival ends. Devotees who wish to follow tradition while complying with the rules can opt for natural clay idols, and can help by removing decorative material before immersion and using the segregated bins provided at immersion sites.
