Natural clay – known as Shaadu Maati – is a non renewable resource that is mined from different parts of India and sent to cities to be converted into religious idols. After the ban on the use of PoP, the traditional use of natural clay is expected to increase. This will create another ecological disaster and therefore needs to be addressed. Also, when clay idols are immersed into natural water bodies they form an impermeable layer on the river bed. 

Currently the clay sludge collected after immersion is either thrown into open mines around the city or some of it gets poured back into the river.