Overview

• Every Plaster of Paris Ganesh idol in Maharashtra must carry a visible circular red mark and be logged in a mandatory sales register for licensing.
• Household idols under six feet are limited to immersion in artificial ponds while larger statues may enter natural waters only if debris is collected the following day.
• An eight-member expert committee has been tasked with developing faster dissolution, recycling methods and eco-friendly alternatives for PoP material.
• The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board will launch a statewide awareness campaign promoting clay idols and informing devotees of immersion guidelines.
• Indore and Dharwad authorities have enacted outright prohibitions on the production, sale and transport of PoP idols with strict checks and penalties.