Ganesh Chaturthi 2018 is approaching us. By now, every streets and corner is adorned with colourful decorations with bright lights and flowers. But this year’s Ganeshotsav will be slightly different for the government’s initiative to make it more environment-friendly. The Bombay High Court in July refused to allow the sale and use of thermocol decorations during the Ganpati festival. The reason behind not pulling out the ban as stated by the division bench is that the court cannot ignore the adverse effects of plastic waste on the environment. Hence, the artists must take a note and do not use any thermocol or polystyrene foam for the decorations of Pandals and Makhars; otherwise, they will have to undergo strict legal actions. Ganeshotsav 2018 Makhar Decoration Ideas: Flower Decorations to Eco-Friendly Themes for This Year's Ganpati Festival. 

The Bombay High Court had turned down the petition filed by the Thermocol Fabricator, Trader and Decoration Association. The thermocol association will have to bear substantial financial losses as they cannot sell their products in the market. There are several reasons that thermocol is harmful to nature. The material if not disposed of correctly ends up like flotsam on water bodies which block the rivers and lakes, harming aquatic life. According to the Institute for European Environment Policy (IEEP), and other environmental agencies, the broken pieces are ingested by marine life and also human beings who consume seafood at possible risk. So, instead of plastics and thermocal items, the artists can definitely come up with different unique ideas for the decorations like recyclable paper products, cloth, paper and newspapers. Ganesh Chaturthi 2018: Eco-Friendly Ganpati Idols You Can Make at Home (Watch DIY Videos). 

The idea for celebrating eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi always existed, and few families have even taken baby steps by immersing the idol at their homes in a tub instead of polluting the sea. However, as per the idol makers and decorators, the costs of idols during the festival are bound to go up this year because of the restriction on several plastics and thermocol items this year. But that cannot stop people from inviting Bappa t0 their homes! Ganesh Chaturthi is slated to begin from September 23, and the ten-day long festival will end on September 23. Devotees are enthusiastic to enjoy the environment-friendly Ganeshotsav. All the streets and markets are already busy with the puja items required for Ganpati Sthapana.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 11, 2018 04:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).