Indian network Big FM is back with the tenth edition of 'Green Ganesha' to celebrate the annual festival dedicated to the Hindu deity Ganesh this year.

The campaign encourages people to use eco-friendly material like papier-mache to make models of the deity instead of plaster-of-Paris.

Having started in Mumbai in 2008, it has now reached over 20 major cities across India and also gained support from environmentalists, political dignitaries and celebrities.

This year, the initiative will further encourage change-makers by felicitating them with the title of 'Green Heroes'.

During the 11-day long festivities, station’s presenters will also discuss a social cause such as cleanliness, women Safety, child labour, dowry, cast discrimination, female infanticide, drug abuse, domestic violence, gender inequality and food wastage.

A spokesperson from the company said: “Ten years ago, awareness surrounding eco-friendly Ganesha was negligible. Given the scale of the festival across cities, we felt it was imperative to create awareness about the ecological implications of the celebrations. Today, we are pleased to see that our efforts have paid-off since the concept of eco-friendly Ganesha has seeped into the mass consciousness.”

The station has also created a song using only natural sounds and acoustics to promote an eco-friendly festival.