BMC to recycle 1,982MT PoP waste from Ganesh idols
After this year's Ganapati festival, Mumbai's civic body (BMC) is attempting to recycle a huge 1,982 metric tons of Plaster of Paris (PoP) collected from idol immersions.
This step comes after a Bombay High Court order and aims to tackle the environmental impact left behind.
All the PoP waste was gathered citywide and sent to a holding facility in Bhiwandi.
BMC seeks help from IIT-Bombay, other institutions
To make sure their recycling doesn't just move pollution from water to air, BMC has asked 12 institutions—including IIT-Bombay—for sustainable ideas.
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board will help pick the best method.
For context: this year saw about 20,000 idols immersed in over 290 artificial ponds, plus more than 3,000 big ones in natural water bodies—all now part of Mumbai's push for cleaner celebrations.