30 July,2026 04:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The civic body has urged residents to actively participate in the initiative and make their own clay Ganpati idols. FILE PIC
The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) will organise free eco-friendly Ganesh idol-making workshops under its âMajhe Ghar, Majha Bappa' initiative to encourage citizens to celebrate Ganeshotsav 2026 in an environmentally responsible manner.
The initiative is being conducted under the âMajhi Vasundhara' campaign in association with the Environment Conservation Council and Enviro Vigil. Through the workshops, citizens will be trained to make Ganpati idols using shadu (clay) while promoting the message of environmental conservation.
Thane Mayor Sharmila Pimpleolkar and Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao have appealed to citizens, students, parents, and devotees to participate in large numbers and contribute to the eco-friendly Ganeshotsav 2026 campaign.
The workshops will be held every Saturday and Sunday in August at TMC School No 19-20 in Naupada, Thane. Training sessions will be conducted in two slots - from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 5 pm.
Citizens interested in participating can register by scanning the QR code provided by the civic body. Participants have been advised to carry two small sheets of paper, two old newspapers or tissue papers, cardboard or hardboard for carving the idol, a 20 cm X 20 cm wooden board, and a bowl.
The civic body has urged residents to actively participate in the initiative and make their own clay Ganpati idols, reinforcing the theme - âMajhe Ghar, Majha Bappa - Shraddha, Sanskar and Anandacha Sangam (My Home, My Bappa - a blend of faith, values and joy)'.
The Bombay High Court (HC) has asked the Maharashtra government to clarify its stand on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent appeal urging devotees to use eco-friendly clay idols during the upcoming Ganesh festival.
A bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Kamal Khata questioned the state while hearing a bunch of petitions against the use of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols, granting Advocate General Milind Sathe time till Wednesday to clarify the government's stand.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had prohibited PoP idols in its 2020 guidelines. The court cited PM Modi's âMann Ki Baat' address aired on Sunday, in which he urged people to use eco-friendly clay idols, and asked the government about its response to the same.
Last year, after the CPCB stated that its guidelines were advisory in nature, the court allowed the immersion of PoP idols over six feet in natural water bodies as per the state government's 2025 policy.
Public interest litigations have been seeking strict enforcement of the CPCB guidelines. However, PoP idol manufacturers also filed pleas, claiming that their fundamental right to carry on their business would be affected.
