Mumbai has turned into the city of the Grand Trunk Roads with Ganesh Chaturthi just two days away — September 17, to be precise. By today, most big pandals have already welcomed the elephant God and now, several families will be bringing idols to their home, if they have not already done so. The fervour is palpable as the 10-day festival begins.

Since a few years now, the Ganesh festival too has been touched by the green trend we see in the city. Environmental-friendly or eco-friendly has become the term to drop at parties, seminars, conferences or all important events. The demand for eco-friendly ganpatis is going up slowly though, and we see a welcome uptick in awareness and responsibility. What we want now, is quicker change, eco-friendly should move from just being the latest trend to being mainstream. Idol makers should start switching to eco-friendly materials as well. Even now, such green idols are limited to a few households and individuals. It should now move from exception to norm.