Posted:
Green and bear it
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Ranjib Mazumder
| Aparna Tilak |
Aparna stays near the beach next to Hinduja Hospital in Dadar. Like every year, Ganesh visarjan results in the water being polluted. This time, the actress has decided to make a difference. She is setting up an NGO to create awareness.
Although the NGO is in the planning stage; an enthusiastic Aparna has already started persuading people. "I want to spread the message that people should get smaller idols, made of clay and bio-degradable materials. Eco-friendly idols will make the immersion a healthy affair," says Aparna.
She adds, "The beach next to my house is always littered. Ganesh immersion will make it worse..."
Aparna and her group of friends have already formed their group, which will soon take the shape of an NGO. She plans to call it Friends of Mumbai. "I am trying to create awareness among people. Very soon, I'll approach idol-makers too," she says.
However, Aparna does not want to hurt anybody's religious sentiments. "I am very religious, so I do not want to hurt people's sentiments. I feel for the cause, so I have arranged for an ashtadhatu (eight metals) statue of Ganpati at my home for the puja. I understand that people cannot install such expensive idols in their houses. But, I do want people to realise that they don't need huge idols at home, as pandals are there to keep the big idols. So, they should take account of the increasing pollution and bring in smaller idols," she says.
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Shiv Shakti
