With a month to go for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival when idols of the Hindu god Ganesha will be immersed in the ocean, the city of Mumbai is encouraging its residents to purchase eco-friendly clay Ganesha idols. The state pollution control board (MPCB) has reached out to idol makers to promote more eco-friendly Ganesha idols at reasonable prices.

Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols are cheaper than clay idols, however, clay models are more environmentally friendly.

"We have been in the manufacturing of Ganesh idols for 12 years now. However, until last year, we manufactured 2 clay idols against 15 PoP idols. But this year, there is a 30 per cent reduction in PoP and 6 out of 10 pre-ordered idols are made of clay. Citizens have become more concerned for the environment," said Nisha Shelke, owner of Maurya Ganesh Arts in Aundh.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a prominent Indian festival held in honor of elephant-headed Ganesha, believed to be the remover of obstacles.