The Nagpur Municipal Corporation has banned the sale and purchase of plaster of Paris (POP) idols in the City. Punitive action has been issued earlier but POP idols are still available in the market.
The Municipal Commissioner has released guidelines for celebrating the Ganesh festival in an eco-friendly way. Accordingly, the purchase and sale of POP idols and stocks have been banned in the city.
It mentions that illegal purchase and sale of POP idols will be confiscated from businessmen who stock them and a fine of at least 10,000 rupees will be imposed on them. There are currently 8 to 10 shops selling POP idols in the Chitaroli area. At least 2 to 2.5 crore worth of POP idols are stored in warehouses in Chitaroli.
As POP idols are attractive and cheap, traditional idol makers in the area are also encouraging the sale of POP idols.
The NDS team of the Municipal Corporation spread awareness about the sale of POP idols. but, no action was taken.