Ahmedabad: The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Thursday approved a plan to produce and sell environmentally sustainable Ganesh idols crafted from cattle dung, clay, and plant seeds. The idols will be made using mud collected from AMC-managed zero-waste ponds. Each idol will be embedded with seeds so that, after the Ganesh festival, devotees can immerse them in their home gardens, where they will sprout into plants.

The idols will be sold both online and at AMC ward offices as well as the Sabarmati Riverfront. AMC has set four pricing options: plain (uncoloured) idols for Rs 300, coloured idols for Rs 400, coloured idols with ornaments for Rs 500, and idols that come with a puja kit for Rs 600.

An AMC official explained that this initiative is aimed at reducing the use of plaster of Paris (POP) idols, which harm water bodies during immersion. DeshGujarat