Here's some data I picked up from a news clip in a vernacular Mumbai newspaper dated 1st September 2014:
- On the 1.5th day of Ganpati Visarjan, a total of 69,833 Ganesh Idols were immersed
- Of these, only 10,448 (15%) were immersed in artificial water bodies / ponds
- 72 natural and 27 articial ponds utilized
- Only 190 of the idols were from a cooperative organizations. Of these, 52 were immersed in artificial ponds
- Rest of the idols were household idols.
As a very conservative estimate, this is close to 150 Tons of PoP getting dumped into the water bodies on a single day from household Ganpatis alone. At the moment, I don't have the statistics on how the number of household Ganpati Visarjans has been trending for the last few years, but my sense from how I have seen the festival over the years is that, the number is increasing at a rapid pace. At least in Mumbai. To me, there are more reasons to see this as a disturbing trend than a positive one.
In a way, it's good that more and more people are discovering faith and love for one of the cutest Hindu Gods around. With every new idol being brought to the household, an artist, a fruit vendor, a priest, a drummer or a DJ and a few others get additional income. So, there is consumption, income generation, and also a bit more circulation of money; all of which add to the health of the economy.
However, the impact this trend is having on noise and water pollution is quite alarming. With every one more household Ganesh idol getting added every year, we add atleast 5 hours of noise pollution (thanks to the noisy drums and DJ's employed during the welcoming and departing processions). We add another 3-4 kg. of PoP into our waters. We add more minutes or maybe a few more hours to the commute time of people working on Visarjan days and hence added fuel consumption. We also add to the headache of the traffic police which has to manage not just the undisciplined but also the frustrated drivers on the road.
I can't claim to know what the Hindu religious texts prescribed for worshipping Ganesh during these days of the year. But I am sure beating cacophonic drums for hours, firing noisy crackers, hiring DJs playing music at high decibels, holding up traffic and dumping (not immersing) PoP idols into water has never even been a Hindu tradition or a necessary custom during the Visarjan festival.
And suppose, if we as devout Hindus out of our faith want to celebrate Ganapati, can't we do it in a way that doesn't harm the environment?
Can't we make home-made Ganeshas and immerse them in a bucket of water in the house itself? Or create a small pond within the housing society instead?
Can't we realise that festivals are for personal enjoyment but not at the cost of peace of other humans and flora & fauna in the neighbourhood?
Can't we instead sing in chorus and dance to the milder music of dholaks while taking out our processions?
Can't we use other means to unleash our desires to shake a leg here and there and let our dancing feet loose?
Can't we realise that if Ganesh is a God, he's got really large ears to hear our faintest prayers and doesn't need us to shout through loudspeakers to get us heard?
A cliched answer to all these questions is: Yes, We Can. My sincere request to you, is to do it and also spread the word so that others can also do it.
Whosoever reads this blog, if you follow the tradition of bringing home a Ganesh every year, or know anyone in your social circle doing so, please try to convince yourself or them to avoid damaging the environment and peace of the already strained Mumbai city. There is a better way to worshipping Ganesh than shaming him with practices that harm God's own creations and creatures.
One way is to worship but not bring home the Ganesh...
