THE CROAK is a weekly environmental newsletter put out by the eCoexist team. It is the voice of the environment on its last legs, the final croak that can either be a plea for attention or a call of triumph as the frogs jump out of the well of ignorance and denial.

Last week, we received a piece of news that we have been waiting for a very long time. The Government of India, through the Central Pollution Control Board has now banned the use of Plaster of Paris and chemical paints , to make religious idols meant for immersion. This is a landmark decision that will ensure that our rivers, lakes and all water bodies stay free of any non biodegradable man made objects.

In 2007, eCoexist started the campaign for eco friendly Ganesh idols. We approached it from the market, reviving the craft of sculpting with natural clay, building up a supply chain and ensuring there were enough buyers for natural clay idols. Over the last 13 years, we have created a robust demand for eco friendly Ganesh idols and more and more sculptors started to see the potential of this shift.

This year the COVID 19 crisis has brought unique challenges to both the artisans making the idols as well as the entire supply chain of raw materials and finished goods. Yet, we are launching a limited stock of idols to start with , which will be available in the city of Pune.

This year, we are going to invite PRE PAID ORDERS, so that we can assure the artisans of a market before they invest in further new production. 

We need your support to do this - if we find that there is a good response from the public, we can encourage them to go ahead with the remaining production as well. 

Please see our Ganesh 2020 catalogue  below. We have a few new delightful additions to bring to you alongside our usual range of idols. You can also visit our website www.e-coexist.com to see the entire range available and make your purchase. 

Over the past eight months, with inputs from ceramic designers, we have developed a new mix of cow dung and natural clay to make a Ganesh idol. Developed along with our artisans in Amaravati, this material will drastically reduce the amount of clay required to make a biodegradable idol. 

As natural clay is a non renewable resource and the mining of such clay also has an ecological impact, we are going to slowly move away from the use of clay for idols. 

This cow dung idol, has intricate detailing and comes in the natural cow dung tone, without any artificial paint on it. 

Cow dung is considered to be a very auspicious and precious resource, used traditionally in Hindu worship rituals. When immersed in water, this idol will immediately dissolve to give you a rich compostable sludge that can be used to water your potted plants at home. 

To expand the palette of colours available for the idols, we have also been developing new natural dyes that can be used on paper mâché idols. The Chintamani idol this year, will have an additional blue and green in addition to our previous range of colours. 

All these natural dyes continue to be water soluble and have no polluting impact whatsoever on the planet, as they are made using vegetable dyes. 

The womens self help groups that we work with, have continued to produce all through the lockdown - making reusable cotton masks, for distribution to the residents of Pune, at risk to their own health and their families. The eco friendly accessories, made by these womens groups will ensure that they continue to get an income even through the crisis. 

The Croak is a weekly environmental newsletter put out by the eCoexist team. It is the voice of the environment on its last legs, the final croak that can either be a plea for attention or a call of triumph as the frogs jump out of the well of ignorance and denial. Satirical, urgent and wise the newsletter brings to your attention, topics of global environmental relevance as well as emerging encouraging alternatives. Put together by a team of passionate Nature lovers, The Croak hopes to look at the environmental crisis in its face. It is a tool to reconnect readers to Nature, through questioning and self reflection. To understand the outer environment as a reflection of our own inner state, individually and as a species. And to take responsibility for enabling change.
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