HYDERABAD: The number of eco-friendly clay `Vinayakas' is indeed growing. Students of 250 schools in the twin cities will be worshipping `Clay Ganeshas' they themselves have created on `Vinayaka Chavithi' like their counterparts in various parts of the State.

The campaign for encouraging clay idols was started in a big way by the State wing of National Green Corps with the Programme for Environment Awareness in Schools (PEAS), an NGO, last year.

The campaign last year resulted in students making over a lakh of idols. "This year the number will go up given the demand for clay from us," said NGC Director W.G. Prasanna Kumar.

The NGC has so far supplied six lorries of clay and 1,000 clay bags from 16 locations in the city for the schools to pick up. One bag of clay is enough to make 200 small idols and 120 bigger ones, he said.

Similar initiative of supplying clay has been taken up in Krishna, Guntur, East Godavari, Chittoor, Kurnool, Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda besides Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts.

"The Ganesh Utsav Committee in Krishna district too has extended its support for clay-idol campaign. Our aim is to make all big idol-makers shift to biodegradable material as in Orissa instead of hazardous chemicals that pollute water after immersion," Mr. Prasanna Kumar said.

Dr. Pushpa of PEAS says that children are convinced about the concept and parents too are happy to let the children make their idols and worship them. "The schools are organising competitions in idol making and awarding prizes for the best ones. Muslim students are excelling in making artistic clay Ganeshas," she says.

The big idol makers need to be trained in making idols with alternative material like bamboo, cloth and vegetable dyes besides turmeric and vermilion. And shifting to clay idols will not affect the livelihood of artisans as any eco-friendly activity is labour intensive, says Mr. Kumar.

A training-cum-competition in clay Ganesha idols will be held in Shilparamam for all age groups on Tuesday from 3.30 p.m. Prizes will be given to winners on Vinayaka Chavithi at Shilparamam.

Clay distribution centres

Wesley Girls High School, Secunderabad, Keyes High School, Government Girld High School, Chaderghat, Mother's Integral High School, Vidyanagar, Nampally Vyayamshala, Madapati Hanumantha Rao Girls' High School, Saraswathi Sishu Mandir, Government Girls High School, Ameerpet and Golconda.

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