Before immersion, flowers, leaves, cloth, decorative items, and other pooja materials must be removed from the idol. To facilitate waste segregation, colour-coded waste bins must be provided at every designated immersion site for the separate collection of waste, it said.
The KSPCB said it has directed local bodies to strictly prohibit the manufacture, storage, sale, distribution, display, and use of Ganesha idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) or decorated with chemical/heavy metal-based paints, or coated with single-use plastic or thermocol.
Instead, KSPCB said, idols must be made using natural clay or soil and other biodegradable, eco-friendly materials.
The Environmental Officer, Mangaluru Regional Office, KSPCB, said in a release that appropriate legal action will be taken against those who violate its directives.
It said that idols made of PoP and decorated with chemical or heavy-metal-based paints do not dissolve naturally. They deplete dissolved oxygen in water and increase permanent water hardness. Upon immersion, they release toxic heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead, chromium, copper, cadmium, cobalt, and zinc into water bodies. This harms aquatic life and poses a severe risk to public health.
The Central Pollution Control Board has directed all States and Union Territories to encourage the use of idols made from natural, biodegradable, and eco-friendly materials, specifically of natural clay. The Karnataka government has completely banned the manufacture, sale, and immersion of PoP idols coated with heavy-metal-based chemical paints across the State. The High Court of Karnataka has directed the strict and complete enforcement of this ban.
Local bodies should take up advance inspections of idol manufacturing units, storage warehouses, and sales outlets prior to the festival. PoP idols found being manufactured, stored, or offered for sale will be seized, and legal action will be initiated against the individuals or entities concerned, it said.
Individuals, manufacturers, traders, or organisers who violate these directives will face the closure and seizure of their manufacturing units, and their operations will be halted, the KSPCB said.