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Journalism of Courage
In June, the Bombay High Court allowed the manufacture and sale of Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) while, at the same time, restricting their immersion in natural water bodies after Ganeshotsav due to their environmental risk. Over the last two decades, shaadu maati — an eco-friendly clay — has emerged as a conscious person’s alternative to PoP.
For devotees concerned about the environment, the Bombay High Court ruling provides yet another reason to search for shaadu maati idols.
“The nature of Ganeshotsav idols is that they will be immersed at the end of the festival. These are not expected to be permanent idols. One must choose a material that will be aligned with the temporary nature of the idols. PoP, which is not naturally occurring, is used in the construction industry as it can last for years and decades. It is a material that has a long lifespan. But we are using it for a much smaller time frame. Shaadu maati, on the other hand, is moisture-absorbent and disintegrates immediately when immersed,” says Manisha Sheth, director of Punaravartan and the founder of eCoexist Foundation, which works to raise environmental consciousness.
She highlighted that shaadu maati is a better option for Ganesh idols than PoP idols.
What is shaadu maati?
Shaadu maati is a natural clayey soil mined in Gujarat. It is 95 per cent clay and silt and five per cent sand. Shaadu maati is transported to places such as Pune, where it is in demand among artisans during Ganeshotsav. Though much is not known about the quantity of shaadu maati mined in Gujarat for idol making, the following figures give an idea.
In 2024, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of Mumbai decided to distribute 1,658 tonnes of shaadu maati for free to artisans. The Punaravartan campaign, endorsed by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, has been collecting shaadu maati sludge after Ganeshotsav and providing it to the artisans to create new idols.
Last year, they collected 57,000 kg of clay from the three cities of Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Thane. This year, Pune city is targeting 100 tonnes of clay collection, and Pimpri Chinchwad at least 50 tonnes.
Unlike PoP, shaadu maati dissolves in water during immersion. The clay also allows artisans to create detailed work on the idols.
Importantly, PoP idols carry chemical paint, which consists of toxic heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, which are released into the water during immersion. Shaadu maati idols are receptive to mineral or vegetable pigment. “Clay and natural pigments are a better option than PoP and toxic paint. Clay is a non-renewable resource. So, it has to be used cautiously. The bottom line is that neither POP nor clay should be immersed in natural water,” says Sheth.
Not always a sustainable option, say experts
Experts have also highlighted the ecological issue in shifting shaadu maati from Gujarat to Maharashtra. “There is a carbon cost involved in transporting all this. There is an environmental cost as well, as removing soil from one landscape and putting it into the river in a different region is not a great ecological idea. Shaadu maati belongs to the terrestrial ecosystem, from where it is taken out and immersed into an aquatic ecosystem, which is the rivers,” says Dr Gurudas Nulkar, Director of Centre for Sustainable Development, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune.
Every year, lakhs of idols are immersed in the rivers of Pune. “Let’s say that everybody shifts to shaadu maati and puts idols into the river. The river will get so much clay that it is not supposed to get. Shaadu maati is so fine that it can settle down and block the interaction between surface water and groundwater. So, the recharge of the hyporheic zone in a river, the flow that happens below the soil, can get disrupted because of the silt. This stops being sustainable,” adds Nulkar.
Encouraging a new culture
Though artisans are using papier mache and other materials to create idols, shaadu maati is here to stay. Sheth says that the solution lies in nurturing eco-friendly habits, such as immersing the idols in tanks rather than water bodies. “This clay can easily be used over and over again. For the past five years, the Punaravartan campaign has been setting up systems to collect the clay sludge after immersion. When collected with care, the sludge is of good quality and is offered back to artisans free of cost. This campaign achieves two goals – conserving this non-renewable resource by putting it back into the supply chain, and protecting the water bodies and ecosystems by preventing the immersion in them,” says Manisha Sheth.
Although every material has its share of advantages and disadvantages, one has to verify the source and contents of the material, and whether it is natural or man-made. “Shaadu maati, too, must be looked at as part of a large picture,” she adds.
