ECOFRIENDLY FESTIVALS

C.ANANTHA Dept of Chemistry M E S degree college BANGALORE

MAJOR FESTIVALS CAUSING DAMAGE TO ENVIRONMENT

HOLI GANESHA FESTIVAL DEEPAVALI

HOLI

Festival of colours Dry and Wet colours used to sprinkle and smear

Dry Danger
The dry colours, commonly known as gulals, have two components a colourant that is toxic and a base which could be either asbestos or silica, both of which cause health problems. Heavy metals contained in the colourants can cause asthma, skin diseases and adversely affect the eyes.

DO NOT USE SYNTHETIC COLOURS

These are toxic,irritate the eyes,cause respiratory damage and skin irritation

THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE

Black

Lead oxide

Renal Failure

Green

Copper Sulphate

Eye Allergy, Puffiness and temporary blindness

Silver

Aluminium bromide Prussian Blue Mercury Sulphite

Carcinogenic

Blue

Contract Dermatitis

Red

Highly toxic can cause skin cancer

What to do!

You can prepare natural colours

Yellow

1) Mix turmeric (haldi) powder with chick pea flour (besan) 2) Boil Marigold flowers in water

Yellow liquid color

Soak peels of pomegranate (Anar) overnight. Slice a beetroot and soak in water Henna leaves (mehndi) can be dried, powdered and mixed with water.

Deep Pink

Orange - red paste

Ganesha-principle
Ganesha is a symbol of biodiversity His worship requires flowers,leaves,grass and other materials from environment. Ganesha idols making from lake bed clay desilts lakes.

Pollution by painted Ganesha idols

Immersion of painted idols releases toxic materials into water bodies and solid wastes like the slow dissolving Plaster of paris

A SOURCE OF LEAD POLLUTION IN INDIA

In India, on every Ganesha Chaturthi and Durga Pooja, crores of idols are immersed in lakes, rivers and other water bodies. These idols are painted with leadlead-based paints

EVERY YEAR , LEAD RELEASED INTO THE WATER BODIES,DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY REACHES US.

LEAD COMPOUNDS ENTER WATER

Paints used in Ganesh idols release Lead into the water used for immersion. This water is consumed by us for daily. Lead is concentrated in vegetables grown using these waters. Cattle which drink this water give milk with unacceptable levels of Lead. We consume these foods and Lead enters our system.

Using painted Ganesha

Using of painted Ganesha makes the environment more polluted. The Ganesha that is immersed in water affects the ecosystem.

METHODOLOGY
Aquarium A was filled with 14 liters of normal tap water. 20 fishes were let into this aquarium for observation.

Aquarium B was filled with 14 liters of water containing lead nitrate. 20 fishes were let into this aquarium for observation.

 Aquarium C was filled with 14 liters of water containing yellow paint pigment. 20 fishes were let into this aquarium for observation.

Aquarium D was filled with 14 liters of ecoganesha immersed water. 20 fishes were let into this aquarium for observation.

None of the fishes died in the normal water

Fishes in lead nitrate water were unable to feed

Fishes in the water containing yellow pigment died.

None of the fishes in the eco-ganesha immersed water died

Lead levels in sankey tank water

not detectable before Ganesha festival 0.03ppm after the festival (acc. level 0.015 ppm)

Lead in our system is bad for health

What is the acceptable amount of Lead in our body? Ans. ZERO Yes that is right! 0000000000 Every indian has a blood Lead level of about 2g/dl. There is lack of awareness about the extent of Lead poisoning in the environment in our country

 Lead becomes poison if it crosses the limit. Lead affects all the organs of the human body. It mimics the role of calcium in bones and teeth. Lead poisoning in children cannot be cured,if it crosses 40 g/dl. Lead poisoning in children affects their nervous system and lowers their IQ.

ECO-GANESHA
Ecofriendly idols are made out of clay. These are unburnt & unpainted. Vegetable colours can also be used.

Ecoganesha=No Pollution
Immersion of clay idols results in easy disintegration of clay and its settling down quickly. Water quality is not affected. The clay can be easily recycled.

Painted ganesha idols

P.O.P. statues immersed in water makes the water acidic. Heavy metals like pb,Hg,leach into acidic water. Undissolved paints disperses in water.

TOI NEWS STORY

Sankey tank reels under idol remains

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

21-9-11

Bangalore: Weeks after Ganesha Chaturthi, at least 10 more truckloads of waste need to be removed from the immersion pond constructed at Sankey Tank. N S Ramakanth, member of the solid waste management round table,said during inspection of the pond, they noticed that the water had turned jet black and a stink was emanating from all around the water body. Two to three truckloads of flowers and leaves are transported to the Mavallipura landills every day, instead of sending them to the organic waste converter at Malleswaram market which has a capacity of 60 to 70%. The tank continues to stink. Even 16 days after Ganesha festival, all the plaster of paris (PoP)idols are lying as it is. Already three truckloads of PoP Ganesha idols have been transported, he said. Ramakanth added that on September 17, tipper lorries of waste were transported to a quarry 20 to 25 km from Bangalore.

What happens
Water quality is affected. pH decreases,hardness increases,total dissolved solids increase,chloride and nitrate concentrations increase. Water becomes turbid,coloured and unusable. Treatment to clarify it and remove the dissolved impurities is costly.

Our study
pH changed from 7.81to 6.94 Chloride 53.2 to 75.6 ppm Nitrate 2.06 to 3.28 ppm T.D.S. 230 to 1270 ppm T.H. 120 to 952 ppm

ECO-GANESHA MARCH (JATHA) IN MALLESHWARAM 24th AUG 08.

BANNER FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY

 By conducting experiments and doing a project like this we came to know that lead affects the biosphere to a large extent. Usage of eco-ganesha idols can prevent additional lead entering the water sources in India.

AWARENESS PROGRAMME
Eco-ganesha Jatha 24th Aug 08 Workshops on Eco-ganesha 24th July & 23rd Aug 08 Green norms for Ganesha festival 29th Aug 08 Eco-ganesha sales outlet 1st to 3rd Sept 08

ECOGANESHA MARCH
M.E.S. COLLEGE invites you to join the ECOGANESHA JATHA this year on Sunday 28th Aug at 10 am. The walk goes through Malleshwaram and ends at 11-15 am. COME. LETS WALK TOGETHER FOR CLEAN AND GREEN BANGALORE.

What you can do

Create awareness-sing,dance,enact a play,write in wall magazines,make posters Start a campaign and get media attention USE ECOGANESHA IDOLS AT YOUR HOME FOR THIS YEARS POOJA

Green festival
Do not use plastic or thermocol for decoration. Use a small ecoganesha idol. Immerse in water in a bucket or drum.

CRACKRES ARE NOT SAFE

Harmful effects of chemicals used in crackers Copper: Irritation of respiratory tract Cadmium: Anaemia and damage to kidney Lead: Affects the nervous system Magnesium: Dust and fumes cause metal fume fever Manganese: Emotional disturbances, spastic gait and paralysis Sodium: React violently with moisture and can attack the skin Zinc: Leads to vomiting Nitrate: Could lead to mental impairment Nitrite: Could lead to coma

Air is polluted
Levels of Sulphur dioxide,Nitrogen oxides increase by 10% or more.

The levels of suspended particulate matter increases .

Safety first!
Let us celeberate all our festivals happily in an ecofriendly manner.