Placeholder canvas
 
Close
Igniting Ideas For impact

Embarking on a transformative journey through six chapters, we traverse India's landscape, exploring pioneering startups and their revolutionary...

8 months

Thanks to Pune Engineers, This K’Taka Village Turns PoP Ganesha Idols Into Fertilisers!

With depleting water bodies and pollution on the rise, two IT Engineers took it in their hands to changed the way people immersed Ganesha idols in the this small village.

Thanks to Pune Engineers, This K’Taka Village Turns PoP Ganesha Idols Into Fertilisers!

With increasing environmental consciousness, people have been looking for alternatives to Plaster of Paris (PoP) in Ganesha idols. Further, depleting water bodies have also been a major concern in places with little or no access to water.

A similar problem was faced by the people in Nagardale village in Karnataka’s Belagavi district, where their local water body– an open well located 25 km away, dried up leaving the town looking for other options.

The villagers started using the check dams which were on the outskirts of the village. But, the youth in the village decided that that was not the best option as it would get polluted.

Ganesh Chathurthi
A Ganesha statue being immersed in water. Source: Wikimedia

Pradeep Devan and Amrut Gurav, IT engineers in Pune, garnished the support of around 30 youths and managed to muster Rs 65,000 to construct an 8,000-litre water tank to immerse the Ganesha idols. But the PoP-dissolved water had to be disposed of somehow, and complications could still arise.

So while browsing the internet for solutions, they came across a method which was adopted by the BMC in Mumbai, which offered a simple solution. It was the result of an experiment conducted by the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL).

PoP is made of calcium sulphate. The experiment aimed to turn PoP into something useful–like fertilisers. Ammonium bicarbonate was added to the immersion water, which turned it into two products– ammonium sulphate and calcium hydroxide. While the former (ammonium sulphate) is an excellent fertiliser, the latter (calcium hydroxide) can be used to make bricks.

With the help of Shubhangi Umbarkar, a scientist at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), the experiment was brought to the village in Karnataka, where the lab provided 300 kg of free ammonium bicarbonate. The villagers were encouraged to immerse the idols in the tank’s bicarbonate water.

When nearly 450 Ganesha idols were immersed, the fertiliser was retrieved to be used in the fields. This inspired nearby villages and town panchayats to take similar steps for converting idols to fertiliser.

The triumph of the experiment and the initiative lies in the people for taking measures to preserve their culture along with the environment. Kudos to the youth Pradeep Devan and Amrut Gurav for seeking out the solution!

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)


Hey, you may also like: How Karnataka Doctors Are Turning Citizens Into ‘Saviours’ for Accident Victims!


Like this story? Or have something to share?
Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com
Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

This story made me

  • feel inspired icon
    97
  • more aware icon
    121
  • better informative icon
    89
  • do something icon
    167

Tell Us More


We bring stories straight from the heart of India, to inspire millions and create a wave of impact. Our positive movement is growing bigger everyday, and we would love for you to join it.

Please contribute whatever you can, every little penny helps our team in bringing you more stories that support dreams and spread hope.

Support the biggest positivity movement section image Support the biggest positivity movement section image
Shorts

Shorts

See All
 
X
 
Sign in to get free benefits
  • Get positive stories daily on email
  • Join our community of positive ambassadors
  • Become a part of the positive movement