The Goa government on Friday imposed a strict ban on manufacture or import of plaster of Paris (PoP) idols from neighbouring States for sale during the Ganesh festival to be held in September.
An advisory issued by the government said that PoP idols are made from hemi hydrated calcium sulphate using the calcination process. When immersed in water, they do not dissolve or disintegrate fast, thereby causing irreversible damage to the riverine /coastal ecology or the ecosystem of any water body. This, in turn, has an adverse impact on marine/aquatic life which is also consumed by humans, it said.
The District Magistrates have warned that sale, manufacturing, transportation and use of plaster of Paris Ganesh idols, including their entry into the State, are prohibited. Those found violating this norm shall be punishable under Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1886, and may lose the licence granted to them for their establishments.
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