Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: A group of youth volunteers conducted a beach cleanup and Ganesh idol collectionw drive at Miramar Beach on Wednesday morning after several idols were found floating along the Miramar and Caranzalem coastline following the visarjan festivities.
The initiative was led by Sanghatana and Goa Hindu Yuva Shakti president Sujan Naik, along with Sadguru Youth Federation president Guruprasad Borkar. The volunteers began the collection drive at around 6 am, gathering idols that had washed ashore or remained floating in the sea.
According to the organisers, several of the collected idols were made of Plaster of Paris (POP), which does not readily dissolve in water and can contribute to marine pollution.
The collected idols were subsequently taken for re-visarjan (punar-visarjan) as part of the initiative, with the organisers saying the process was carried out respectfully and with the required rituals.
The youth group said the drive has been conducted annually for several years, with the objective of addressing both environmental concerns and the respectful handling of damaged idols after immersion.
The organisers also appealed to citizens to opt for eco-friendly Shadu Mati (clay) idols for future Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, stating that such idols are more suitable for natural immersion.
The volunteers said the initiative was aimed at combining religious faith with environmental responsibility and encouraged citizens to ensure that immersion practices do not leave damaged idols and waste along Goa’s beaches.
The drive concluded with an appeal for greater public participation in keeping Goa’s coastline clean following the festive season.
“Ganpati Bappa Morya,” the organisers said.
