Vikrama Simhapuri Ganesh Utsav Samiti, a 40-year-old committee formed to ensure the smooth conduct of the Vinayaka Chavithi at all pandals within the Nellore city limits, has pledged to take green initiatives this year.
“We are planning to take green initiatives this year. We are encouraging the organisers to erect environment-friendly idols of Lord Ganesh. Though there are some concerns over using the clay idols in the large pandals, we are trying to convince the organisers to place the idols made of bio-degradable material and reduce the usage of Plaster of Paris (PoP),” P. Satya Nageshwara Rao, president of the committee, told The Hindu.
Mr. Rao added that the committee has proposed that the organisers use leaves to distribute prasadam to the devotees and restrict the usage of plates and spoons made of single-use plastic. The organisers also would agree to this as the municipal authorities have been insisting on implementing such measures in the city, he added.
With the festival falling on September 7, the committee has reopened the doors of its office at Trunk Road to provide its voluntary services to the organisers of Ganesh pandals in the city. This office, launched last year, provides all the necessary permissions from the Police, Fire and Electricity Departments to the pandal organisers through a single window system.
“We are urging the District Collector, Joint Collector and Superintendent of Police to continue the single-window method, and they have responded positively to our requests,” Mr. Rao said.
Meanwhile, the organisers of the Ganesh pandals do not seem to be keen on erecting the clay idols of Lord Ganesh. On condition of anonymity, an organiser said: “Almost every huge clay idol gets damaged during transport. We feel it is inauspicious if the idol breaks before it is erected on the pandal. So, we don’t want to choose them at least this year. We may consider using them later if strong clay idols are made available in the market.”
Vinayaka Chavithi is celebrated prestigiously at the pandals in areas like Shivaji Centre, Chinna Bazar and Kapu Veedhi in the city.
Published – August 28, 2024 08:13 pm IST
