In Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, broken Ganesha idols that end up in the Arabian Sea are now being collected by a duo of eco‑activists. The pair, Kaalambe and Desai, turned the 3,000 kg of plaster‑of‑paris waste from the 2024 visarjan into 760 study tables, benches, keychains and pen‑holders.
The recycling process begins with a meticulous separation of paint, metal, and cloth remnants, a step Desai insists is crucial for safety. Using a proprietary MurtiCycle technology, the clean plaster is dried, filtered, and then molded into water‑resistant tables at a facility in Valsad, Gujarat.
Kaalambe first noticed idol fragments littering Mumbai's beaches during his annual beach‑clean‑up drives.
The pilot alone diverted 3,100 kg of plaster and yielded over 700 tables and 200 pen‑holders; the duo now targets 5,000 tables by 2026 to serve 25,000 rural and tribal schools that lack basic infrastructure.
Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Henkel India’s CSR arm praised the initiative, while the Rotary Club of Joy of Giving pledged additional funding.
Desai says the team will begin production of the 5,000‑table batch next month, with a rollout schedule to be unveiled at the upcoming Ministry of Education meeting.