Hyderabad: Greens hold pedal n walk rally to promote clay idols

Hyderabad: To raise awareness and encourage the use of eco-friendly clay Ganesh idols for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi, a few environmental enthusiasts organised a cycling and walking rally on Sunday.

The event was organised by members of the Kapra Lake Revival Group in collaboration with the Hyderabad Cycling Revolution. The ride started at ECIL and continued to Neredmet.

During the ride and walk, the activists engaged with locals, explaining the harmful effects of Plaster of Paris (PoP) and urging them to adopt clay idols while considering sustainable alternatives for idol immersion. K Prakash, an environmental activist from Hanamkonda, also joined the mission.

The main aim of the walk and ride is to draw attention to the damage caused to water bodies by immersing Ganesha statues made of PoP. This practice is deteriorating the entire lake ecosystem. Another key objective of the campaign is to promote the benefits of cycling and walking, as highlighted by members of the Hyderabad Cycling Revolution.

“Despite the ban on PoP idols, we still see them flooding the markets. With just a few days left before the festival, the State government has yet to take any decisive action to curb their sales or launch an awareness campaign. Therefore, we have decided to initiate our own campaign in various localities to encourage people to adopt small clay Ganesh idols that can be immersed at home. For slightly larger idols, we suggest immersion in artificial ponds,” said Manognya Reddy, a member of the Kapra Lake Revival Group.

K Prakash, an environmental activist from Hanamkonda, said, “We are frustrated with repeatedly urging the State government to take action against PoP idol makers, despite the ban. Artisans have already begun making these idols, and the State government has yet to launch any awareness campaigns. It would be better if the government came up with concrete solutions to address the issue of PoP idols.”