A Study on Chemical Disintegration of POP Ganesh Idols in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
2020
Y. K. Saxena, R.C. Verma and P. Jagan
In India, festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja form an integral part of its rich and diverse cultural heritage. The ritual of idol worshipping and immersion into water bodies signifies the cycle of creation and dissolution, acknowledging the rhythm of nature that all things come from nature and go seamlessly back to it for a cycle to begin. But, in recent times the practice of immersing Plaster of Paris (POP) made idols along with other decorative material into natural water bodies has immensely raised the severe issue of water pollution and creating an uncongenial aquatic ecosystem. In this purview, a pilot project for chemical disintegration of POP idols during Ganesh festival was run in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India to study the effective application of a chemical method developed by CSIR-NCL, Pune by using ammonium bicarbonate. Water samples were collected before and after idol immersion activity from the tank. The detailed chemical analysis of the aqueous phase was carried out to study the effect on various parameters and application of residues. The analytical results reveal that the method has its practical utility as both the products of the reaction can further be used in chalk making and as fertiliser with dilution. The concentration of heavy metals was found minimal and in the limits in the treated aqueous phase. This paper also supports the sustainable management of such functions rather than the use of artificial materials.
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