Now, MCC cracks whip for eco-friendly Ganesha

Idol makers on Wednesday, who were waiting for prospective buyers in view of Gowri Ganesha festivals next week, were taken aback, when a team of officers attached to Mysore City Corporation (MCC) landed at their doorsteps to seize the idols. The reason being; the idols aren’t environment-friendly.

The officers team led by assistant commissioner of zone six E Thimmappa launched the operation from Kumbargeri (the potters colony) near K R Hospital, inviting the wrath of the idol makers who later staged a protest in front of the city corporation.

The drive was intended at sending a warning for the idol makers to comply with the norm of selling either clay idols or those decorated with natural colours other than coloured idols and plaster of paris (PoP) made, that turn poisonous after immersed in water.

Different sizes

Idols in different sizes were lifted and loaded into the tipper lorry, even as the artists raised a hue and cry.

The aggrieved artists had a common poser; whey didn’t the city corporation inform six months in advance through a notice?

 Caring a damn for the outcome, the artistes for sometime dared the gangmen to seize the idols. 

A woman from the family of potters in broken voice emotionally appealed to the officers to spare them as they had to pledge valuables and raise money to invest on making idols.

Advance

More than that, they were pained to say that they already received advance amount for orders from some of the organisations who celebrate the festivals in public.
The very action of the city corporation will prove costly.

The artists also claimed that they have been using natural colours only, but in vain. Disputing their claims, the officers counter argued that the gold paint used to colour the crown of the lord Ganesha was toxic.

Some of the idols were also seized from ‘Famous Ganapati Vigrahagalu’, a temporary shop set up on the premises of a Ganesha temple on Irwin road. Here too, the officers had to face some tough time before speeding away with the seized idols.

The operation was conducted amid the police cover extended by Lashkar station under the leadership of sub-inspector G Omkarappa.