NASHIK: The forest department, Nashik, has come up with a new scheme to promote plantation and eco-friendly Ganeshotsav among the masses by presenting a sapling of a medicinal plant along with the Ganesh idol.
For the first time, the Nashik west forest department has put up 100 Ganesh idols for sale to raise awareness about the eco-friendly celebrations and offering medical plants.
“Nashik deputy conservator of forests Deepak Garg came up with the idea of offering medicinal plants for those who buy Ganesh idol from us. It is a non-commercial programme in which, art students prepared the idols,” said Seema Musale, the range forest officer.
The idols are put up for sale in the stall set by the forest department at Mahatma Phule Kaladalan in Shalimar.
The officer said the idols were made of Shadoo clay and the natural colours were only used for the decoration. The idols come in two sizes and are rationally priced for the citizens, who wish to switch to eco-friendly way in their celebration.
The aim at presenting the saplings of amla, bel, tulsi, shatavari, gulvel, aloe vera and others is to popularise these plants among the masses who can plant them at their homes and in the gardens so that they can benefit from the same.
“Most of these plants are immunity boosters and they are the best in the current times of pandemic. People need to understand the value of the medicinal herbs and hence this experiment,” she added.
