The use of paint with toxic chemicals on clay idols will be banned in West Bengal from next year. The decision has been taken by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) that concluded that toxic chemicals used in the paints are insoluble once the statues are immersed in the waters at the completion of a puja festival.

“The toxic paint applied on the statues is insoluble in water. Hence, it remains in the riverbed along with the sediments, and can be transmitted to aquatic plants like algae, which is consumed by aquatic animals.