much as we love to revel in the glory of ganesh chaturthi it is disappointing to see any auspicious occasion turning into an eyesore fortunately people in the city have been doing their bit to keep the festivities ecofriendly we speak to amdavadis who innovate to celebrategood earthidols were traditionally made using clay from the river bed and on immersion the clay would be replenished in the earth even today the most popular ecofriendly way to make an idol is by using clay homemaker radha khambete says generally i make a tiny idol using clay about 6 inches in height this year i made a foot long idol and we will immerse it in a drum at home the fact that plaster of paris pop idols cost less and are lighter have led people to make idols out of it even though it is insoluble in water the dyes and paints used on the idols release harmful substances like lead mercury and cadmiuminnovations unlimitedfestivals often bring out your creative best for an ecofriendly ganesh chaturthi devotees either use a biodegradable material when immersed or something that is edible and can be distributed as prasad meenakumari damre an artist and educator has been using different materials like fruits vegetables flour puffed rice papier mache amongst other things for the last 15 years last year we crafted an idol out of confectionary my children renesh 9 and sravishta 12 also made a clay idol and painted it with nontoxic colours we are thinking of options this year she says the colours decoration material and binding agents too can be ecofriendly growing consciousnesshemant agarkar a business professional says earlier they would simply worship a betel nut as it is considered to be a form of ganesha now since three years we have been using clay to make a small idol the flowers and other residue can be used as manure in the garden and so can the water used for immersion he says amee shelat saxena an academician says that she is planning to do something creative with her daughters kriya and arshia to inculcate a sense of awareness in them we are practicing with play dough and are planning to make a final one with wheat flour which can be fed to the cow we want to make an idol using potters clay and put in some seeds later instead of immersion we will put the idol in a pot and hope that the seeds will flower she saysimmerse at homeganesh kshatriya vice president of amdavad sarvajanik shri ganesh mahotsav association says that each year participants are given prizes by the selection committee in various categories only idols made of clay are considered contenders this is how we ensure that the idols are ecofriendly he says the association registers larger groups that need permission to install pandals and for immersion he says that the association is actively trying to promote the concept of immersing the idol in their vicinity devotees can bring