MCC wakes up; whips out diktat

Health panel seizes eco-unfriendly PoP Ganesha idols in city

Aiming at making the forthcoming Gowri Ganesha festival environmental-friendly, gangmen attached to the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) on Wednesday cracked down on idol makers selling plaster of paris (PoP) and chemically-rich idols.

In a drive launched by the Public Health and Education Standing Committee of the MCC — led by its chairman R Kempanna — the gangmen removed about 25 plaster of paris made idols from the footpath on Hunsur road near Kalamandira and Vishwamanava double road near Kukkarahalli.

Kempanna told Deccan Herald, the idol-makers from Rajasthan, who have been camping here for the past several years had been warned in the recent past too, not to sell such idols that are hazardous to the environment.

The seized idols have been kept in a safe place at the office of zone three of the city corporation. The idol-makers have been given two days time to remove the remaining idols on their own.

The women folk, among the idol-makers who were caught by surprise when the gangmen landed in the morning, pleaded not to take any action.

The family, including children would be pushed to the streets, appealed a woman.

Kempanna said that the drive was a prelude to many such programmes planned for the betterment of the city. “Thrust will be laid on cleanliness of the city,” she said.

Members of the committee — R Lingappa, P R Parvati, Mahadevamma and Asha — assistant commissioners Govindappa (zone three) and Nagaraj (zone four), and environmental engineers were present.