Daijiworld Media Network – Panjim

Panjim, Sep 16: Following Ganesh Visarjan, members of Yuva Shakti, led by president Sujan Naik, conducted a beach cleanup and idol collection drive at Miramar Beach on Wednesday morning.

The drive began at 6 am after several Ganesh idols were reportedly found floating near Miramar and Caranzalem beaches. Several idols made of Plaster of Paris (POP) were found broken along the shoreline, raising concerns over marine pollution and the respectful handling of religious idols.

During the drive, volunteers collected the idols from the beach and later carried out Re-Visarjan (Punar-Visarjan) with the prescribed rituals.

According to Yuva Shakti, the initiative has been organised annually for the past eight years with the twin objectives of protecting Goa’s environment and maintaining the dignity associated with religious idols.

The group highlighted concerns over the use of POP idols, noting that the material does not dissolve easily in water and can contribute to pollution and affect marine life.

Yuva Shakti also appealed to citizens to opt for eco-friendly Shadu Mati (clay) idols, which dissolve naturally in water, to make festival celebrations more environmentally responsible.