Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa’s environmental authorities have registered 129 Ganesh idol makers on a newly launched online portal aimed at monitoring the use of Plaster-of-Paris (PoP) in idols before this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
The digital registration system, introduced for the first time by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), is compulsory for all idol manufacturers, artisans, traders and seasonal vendors. The Director of Environment has set July 15 as the final date for registration.
Officials said most of the registered applicants are traditional artisans from Kumbharwada, Mayem, where idols are handcrafted at home using natural materials such as clay, chikatmati and shadumati. These units generally produce between 50 and 200 idols each season.
The remaining registrations include a handful of larger manufacturers from Bicholim taluka, some of whom have declared that they manufacture only clay idols without using PoP. Around one-fifth of the registered vendors are from neighbouring districts of Kolhapur, Belagavi and Raigad, who supply idols to Goa during the festive period.
As per the new guidelines, Ganesh idols sold in Goa may contain no more than 20 per cent PoP. Vendors found selling idols that exceed the prescribed limit will face a ₹25,000 fine, and the cost of disposing of those idols at authorised facilities will have to be borne by them.
The rules also require that idols be finished using environment-friendly, biodegradable, water-based and non-toxic natural paints, irrespective of whether they are made from clay or contain the permitted quantity of PoP.
To verify compliance, the GSPCB will organise inspections of registered chitrashalas roughly one month before Ganesh Chaturthi. Teams comprising officials from the Pollution Control Board, the Goa Handicrafts, Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (GHRSSIDC) and the Deputy Collector’s office will collect samples for laboratory analysis.
Authorities have warned that failure to comply with the regulations could result in sealing of manufacturing units, cancellation of registration and monetary penalties. Idol-making units operating without mandatory registration will also face enforcement action.
