ICAR Turns Ganesh Visarjan Waste into Organic Manure

The correct answer is ICAR-NISA, Ranchi and ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai. At these two institutes, one in Jharkhand and the other in Maharashtra, biodegradable offerings such as flowers and other puja samagri were collected and segregated from the rest of the festival waste, and the compostable material was then processed at composting facilities to prepare organic manure. That turned waste generated during the immersion into a useful resource for the soil. Options A, C and D name other well-known institutes of the council, but none of them was reported as carrying out this composting work. The activity formed part of the wider Swachhata Hi Seva drive at ICAR institutions, which also covered awareness at a local Ganesh pandal, cleaning of the surrounding area and segregation of the garbage collected there.

The correct answer is Swachhata Hi Seva. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research organised its awareness and cleanliness initiatives at its institutions as part of these activities, with the focus placed on cleanliness after Ganesh Visarjan, clean public spaces and responsible waste management. Option A, Namami Gange, is the programme for the rejuvenation of the Ganga and was not named here. Option B, Mission LiFE, promotes environment-friendly lifestyles but is not the campaign under which these programmes were held. Option D, the Jal Jeevan Mission, is about household tap water supply and has nothing to do with this drive. Under the campaign, participants were sensitised about eco-friendly clay idols, the use of designated immersion sites and the proper collection and disposal of flowers, puja samagri, plastic, thermocol and decorative waste.

The correct answer is idols of Plaster of Paris and those with harmful chemical colours. Participants at the programme were sensitised about the use of eco-friendly clay idols and were advised to avoid immersing idols made of Plaster of Paris, or carrying harmful chemical colours, in drinking water tanks. Option A is wrong because clay idols were precisely what the programme recommended, not what it warned against. Options C and D name materials that were not discussed at the programme at all. Beyond the choice of idol, people were encouraged to use the immersion sites designated for the purpose, to keep idols and puja samagri out of natural water bodies, and to maintain cleanliness and take safety precautions at immersion sites, since protecting water resources rests on collective responsibility and community participation.