ZP schoolteachers, students embark on mission to promote clay Ganesh idols

Marikal (Narayanpet): Zilla Parishad High School teachers in Marikal mandal in Narayanpet district have embarked on an environment awareness campaign and urged the school students and general public not to install the Ganesh idols made of plaster of paris and which are painted with harmful chemical paints.

Speaking on the occasion, senior teacher said as the Ganapathi festival is being celebrated and many people are using the Ganesh idols made of plaster of paris which are painted with harmful chemicals, they felt that it is the right time to spread awareness about the importance of protection environment.

"Particularly for the students we have promoted them to install clay Ganesh idols and even urged the people through the students to shun the idols made of plaster of paris as they are harmful to our environment.

The hazardous chemicals that are painted on the Ganesh idols once get immersed in the water can destroy the aquatic animals in water. Heavy metals in the colours can seep into ground and mix up with drinking water and cause health issues damaging our vital organs.

"Therefore, we had taken up an environment awareness campaign and thought the need to help the people understand the importance of protecting our environment and therefore we had also distributed clay idols with an aim to promote our campaign," said Balalingaiah.

Adding further the senior teacher of ZPHS explained to the students that the planet earth is not for the human beings alone, there are millions of other species living on it and it is our responsibility to protect them.

"The nature can fulfil our needs, but it cannot fulfil our greed. The time has come to work collectively for this noble cause," said the ZPHS teacher. N. Madhusudhan Reddy, the headmaster of ZPHS also stressed on the need for using Clay Ganesh idols in place of idols made of plaster of paris and urged the students to spread the awareness among their parents and elders.

Later the students were distributed clay idols. The schoolteachers Laxman, Srinivasulu, Swaroopam, Vijay kumar and the students participated in the programme.