Today, On 24th July, Bombay High Court ruled that all PoP Ganesh idols up to six feet must be compulsorily immersed in artificial tanks during the 10-day festival starting August 27, to ensure environmental protection and public safety.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court mandated on Thursday that all idols measuring up to six feet in height must be immersed in artificial tanks during the upcoming 10-day Ganesh festival, which begins on August 27 this year.
This order will remain in effect until March next year for other festivals involving idol immersion, including those crafted from Plaster of Paris (PoP).Mumbai:
A bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne, stated,
“The court has to make an endeavour that the impact of immersion of idols is bare minimum on the environment. Therefore, idols up to 6 feet should compulsorily be immersed in artificial water tanks,”
Additionally, the court directed the state government to ensure that its policy regarding idol immersion is enforced “in letter and spirit.”
The bench stated in its order,
“The policy of the state government can be said to be a step in the right direction. However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that over 7,000 PoP idols above 5 feet will be immersed in natural bodies. The court has to make an endeavour that the impact on immersion of idols on the environment is reduced to a bare minimum. We therefore direct that instead of 5 feet, idols up to 6 feet shall necessarily be immersed in artificial water bodies,”
Local authorities are required to guarantee that idols up to six feet tall are immersed in artificial water bodies.
The bench also instructed the government to establish an expert committee tasked with recommending methods for recycling the PoP material used in idol construction. This committee should explore scientifically sound approaches to facilitate the eco-friendly dissolution of these idols.
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This ruling was issued while considering a series of petitions aimed at enforcing the revised guidelines set forth by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) concerning PoP idols.
The bench has adjourned the hearing on the matter for eight weeks to allow for further consideration of the case.
Earlier, On Wednesday, the Maharashtra Government updated the high court regarding its policy guidelines issued on July 21 for the immersion of PoP idols. After reviewing the state’s guidelines, the court inquired whether the Maharashtra Government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) could establish artificial tanks for the immersion of PoP idols up to 7 or 8 feet tall.
Today, Senior Advocate Milind Sathe, representing the BMC, informed the court that last year, 85,306 Ganesh idols under 5 feet were immersed in artificial tanks within the city. With the new state directive, arrangements will need to be made for the immersion of all 1,95,306 idols (an increase of 1.10 lakh) in artificial ponds this year. He noted that last year, 3,865 idols ranging from 5 to 10 feet and 3,998 idols over 10 feet made of PoP were immersed in natural water bodies, which posed logistical challenges for immersion in artificial tanks.
When Advocate Ronita Bhattacharya-Bector, representing the PIL petitioner, argued that even larger PoP idols should not be immersed in natural water bodies, Chief Justice Aradhe remarked,
“We are also not satisfied, but we cannot create artificial ponds ourselves. We cannot remain uncut from realities and do the idealistic thing… We are part of society. We are conscious. This is only an interim arrangement for this year.”
Maharashtra Advocate General Birendra Saraf stated that the government was “committed to the environment” and would rigorously enforce its guidelines, including cleaning the seabed and removing immersed materials the day after immersion.
The Bombay High Court then mandated the implementation of the state’s guidelines “in letter and spirit,” requiring the immersion of PoP idols under 6 feet in artificial bodies.
The court also directed the Maharashtra Government to establish an expert scientific committee to explore the reuse and recycling of PoP idols and to investigate methods for the eco-friendly dissolution of these idols.
According to the new policy, idols measuring less than five feet must be immersed in artificial water bodies.
Additionally, idols taller than five feet may be allowed to be immersed in natural water bodies like lakes, rivers, and the sea if no alternative immersion facilities are available.
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