An extended and green Ganesh Chaturthi
Residents of SSM Nagar in Chennai have established a community-led recycling initiative to collect and repurpose clay Ganesha idols after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. The project aims to reduce water pollution by preventing the immersion of idols in local water bodies.
Why it matters
This initiative demonstrates how local community action can effectively address environmental concerns through circular economy practices.
At SSM Nagar in Alapakkam, New Perungalathur, residents have been having an extended Ganesh Chaturthi for the last three years, making the clay Ganeshas central to a recycling initiative. As in the previous two years, under an in-house initiative, ‘KAATRU’ (Keeping Awareness And Action Towards Recycling and Upcycling), helmed by P.S. Jayaraman, has collected clay Ganeshas and kept them ready for potters.
Residents are asked to choose natural, unpainted clay idols and, after the celebrations, leave them at a designated collection point near the Pillayar Kovil. From there, the idols are handed over to potters.
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