The Goa Government has decided to conduct a study on the impact on water quality after immersion of Ganesha idols, especially those made of Plaster of Paris (PoP), at different places.

The move comes in the wake of its failure to control the sale of idols made of PoP, considered harmful to the environment, despite a ban.

The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) will monitor all spots where the idols will be immersed during the 10-day-long festival, beginning September 17.

“The board will collect water samples from water bodies where idols are immersed. We will also study the impact on water quality to ascertain the pollution potentially out of PoP idols,” GSPCB Chairman Jose Manuel Noronha told PTI.

He said that despite a ban on the sale of PoP-made idols, its sale is reported across the coastal State. “We need to ensure that environment is not impacted due to immersion,” Noronha added.