Navi Mumbai turns Ganesh idol waste into school desks for students

Navi Mumbai has taken a significant step in environmental conservation by recycling Plaster of Paris (PoP) from Ganesh idols. The city was recently recognised as the second most sustainable in Maharashtra under the Majhi Vasundhara campaign. This initiative is part of its broader efforts to promote a circular economy. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) collected around 8,000 PoP idols after last year’s Ganesh festival. These were gathered from 146 artificial immersion ponds across the city. From these, 700 idols were processed, yielding about 1,500 kg of recycled material.

With expert help from IIT Bombay, ICT Mumbai, and environmental organisations, the NMMC developed scientific methods for recycling PoP. The recovered material was then used to manufacture 760 study tables. These were distributed to students at Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Municipal Secondary School No. 104 in Ambedkar Nagar, Rabale.

The next phase of the project involves processing the recovered PoP into reusable raw material for making new idols. This aligns with the city’s goal of promoting recycling and reuse within a circular economy model. The initiative has successfully turned waste into useful resources. The recycled PoP has already provided school furniture for local students. Future plans will focus on scaling up the process to further reduce waste and support sustainability.