From 3,000 kg of Ganesha idol waste to 760 study tables: Inside ‘Visarjan Se Vidya Tak’ initiative

Image Courtesy: Instagram/@kalambemalhar What happens to a Ganesha idol after it is immersed during Ganpati visarjan? In Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, some of the idols are getting a second use as study tables, benches and other products for children. An initiative involving Mumbai environmentalist and Beach Please founder Malhar Kaalambe and Gujarat-based recycling expert Dr Binish Desai is collecting broken and immersed Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols and processing the material into usable products. The initiative is aimed at addressing two problems at the same time: the waste generated by PoP idols after visarjan and the shortage of basic educational infrastructure in some government schools.From immersed idols to study tablesAround 3,000 kg of PoP waste was diverted during the pilot and converted into 760 study tables for economically weaker section students in NMMC schools.According to Kaalambe and Desai, the circular-economy initiative is called ‘Visarjan Se Vidya Tak.’ The process involves recovering PoP from immersed idols, separating it from other materials and processing it into new products. The finished study tables are intended for government school students. The pilot project...