Goddess Durga fights for environment!

“Possibly we are the first state in the country to have been successful in controlling the usage of lead paints in idols during festivals. Almost two-thirds of all idols made in the state this season are from eco-friendly paints,” Biswajit Mukherjee,chief law officer of the state’s environment department,said.

Bengal’s biggest festival Durga Puja,beginning from October 14,is a four day melange of festive fun and devotion which brings everything else in the entire state to a standstill.

More than 200 puja organisers from the city as well as from the surrounding areas like Chuchura and Chandernagore have opted for lead-free colours,he said.

The paints used by artisans in the potters’ hub of Kumartuli have a high content of toxic elements like lead,cadmium and chromium.

As over 50,000 idols are immersed into various water bodies each year in the state,it leads to contamination in water making it unfit for the survival of aquatic life and drinking purposes.

Moreover,workers using spray guns to paint idols are sitting ducks.

“If the lead molecules are breathed in,it might attack the central nervous system leading to hyperactivity,anaemia,vomiting,kidney damage and even cancer,” says Subrata Majumdar,biology professor at the Bose Institute.

Use of lead-free colours and renewable energy by Durga Puja organisers has also been made a criterion for the ‘Shera Sharad Nirman Puja Puraskar’,an annual award given by the department of environment and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB).

Another awareness campaign run by the West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Ltd (WBGEDCL) to promote solar lighting has also tasted fair amount of success.

“Some manufacturers have agreed to provide solar power equipment free of cost to the pandals in return for free publicity at the venue. It is a win-win situation for both of them,” says managing director of WBGEDCL S P Gon Choudhuri.

All fears of post-power cut chaos would be allayed by the presence of solar lamps which would automatically get switched on to boost the generator-powered lights,he says.

Pandal hoppers will also not feel exhausted as illumination using solar energy will be more soothing than the usual and that too,without any noise.

“Through our puja we are spreading the message of using renewable energy to save the cost of energy in times of acute pollution and dearth of electricity supply,” said Ashok Jaiswal,organisers of the famed Manicktala Chaltabagan Durga puja committee,where both solar and wind energy appliance have been installed.

WBPCB is also urging the organisers to use LED lights which are more eco-friendly instead of the conventional ones.

Artisans and environmentalists are,however,left asking for more.

Kumartuli craftsmen have complained that sufficient quantity of lead-free paints have not been provided by the government.

“The cost and availability of the paint remains a problem for us. The quantity of the paints distributed by the government will meet only a part of our requirements,” says Babu Pal,secretary of the Kumartuli Mrit Shilpa Sanskritik Samiti.

Environment activist Subhash Dutta also isn’t amused by the government’s initiative.

“Artisans are reluctant to use the lead-free colours as they lack the requisite luster and brightness. Moreover,the colours might be lead-free but they are not free from other harmful chemicals. Only organic colours should be allowed,” he said.