JAIPUR: Around 22 representatives from 18 countries gathered at an organic farm, nearly 22 km from Jaipur on Sikar Road, to share their experiences on climate change and sustainability.

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board Chairman Vaman Acharya on Wednesday said that paints used in Ganesha and Gowri idols have chemicals that pollute water bodies.

Thus, people should switch to eco-friendly idols that are painted with organic colours, he said. He also expressed concern over indiscriminate use of thermocol which is non-biodegradable.“Thermocol has emerged as another pollutant. Artisans use it to make their idols made of Plaster of Paris strong,” said Acharya. “It takes a hammer to break an idol made using thermocol,” he added.

The National Green Tribunal’s principal bench has restrained a number of State agencies from dumping garbage in the Pallavaram ‘periya eri’.

“The Tribunal is able to see a prima facie case made out for granting an ex-parte ad interim injunction in view of the warranting fact and circumstances. Accordingly, an ex-parte ad interim injunction is granted, restraining R-1 (first respondent) from dumping garbage at Pallavaram ‘periya eri’ until further orders of this Tribunal,” said the Tribunal’s order, dated September 27.

Says immersion of Vinayaka idols has polluted the Mookeneri Lake

Taking moral responsibility that he was not able to save the picturesque Mookeneri Lake, here, from a bunch of polluters, who immersed idols of Lord Vinayaka, made of plaster of Paris and toxic dyes in it, a Salem-based environmentalist V. Piyush Sethia, Convener, Salem Citizens’ Forum, which resurrected the lake into a throbbing water spread that was once a PWD’s cesspool, ‘surrendered’ before a Salem judicial court here on Monday.

Asia’s second largest brackish water lagoon, the Pulicat lake, is turning into a garbage dump with residents, fisherfolk, shopkeepers and visitors using the water body to discard wastes.

On Saturday, a large group of volunteers, including school and college students, cleaned the lake and collected 1.5 tonnes of wastes. The clean-up was organised by the Aarde Foundation, Ocean Conservancy, USA and Indian Maritime Foundation as part of the activities on International Coastal Cleanup Day. Empty liquor bottles, water sachets, plastic bags, oil cans and bottle lids formed 97 per cent of the garbage found in the seven-km long stretch from Kottaikuppam to Lighthouse kuppam beach.

Adviser to MoEF visits Sasthamcotta, Ashtamudi lakes

Siddharth Kaul, adviser on wetland conservation to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), has said that a comprehensive management action plan (MAP) is vital for the effective conservation of the Sasthamcotta and Ashtamudi lakes, both Ramsar sites, in Kollam district. Interacting with officials, environment activists and representatives of the people here on Tuesday after assessing the condition of the lakes earlier in the day, Dr. Kaul said he was particularly shocked to see the Ashtamudi lake. “But it is not late; the lakes can definitely be saved.”

Basavanakatte lake in Kengeri hobli, once a vital water body in the area, has now been reduced to a dumpyard of plastic waste. Lack of conservation efforts by the authorities has left the lake to die a slow death.

Heaps of burnt and unburnt plastic wastes are dumped here illegally, polluting the water body and its surroundings. But the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike authorities and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board seem to be oblivious.

The district pollution control board has issued a fiat in respect of using idols for the vinayaka chathurthi festival here.

The PCB has forbidden public from using dyed or painted idols and they are requested to use only clay idols. Idols must not be immersed in beach or lakes and it must be done 500 meters into the sea. The PCB has identified following sites for immersion.