Today, On 9th June, Bombay High Court modified its ban on PoP Ganapati idols, allowing artisans and petitioners to make them. However, the court clearly stated they cannot be immersed in natural water bodies without taking prior permission from the court.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court revised its January ruling that had imposed a complete ban on the manufacturing and sale of Ganpati idols made from Plaster of Paris (PoP).
The bench, comprised of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne, reviewed an affidavit submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) through advocate Abhinandan Vaigyanik.
In its order, the bench stated,
“It will be open to the petitioners as well as artisans making PoP idols. However, the same shall not be immersed in natural water bodies without the leave of the court.”
The bench also granted the Maharashtra government three weeks to clarify its position and scheduled another hearing for the petitions on June 30.
In response to the situation, the Maharashtra government contacted the CPCB, which subsequently formed an expert committee to investigate the matter.
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The committee concluded that there is no ban on the manufacturing and sale of PoP idols, although these idols cannot be immersed in natural water bodies.
Furthermore, the CPCB indicated that the guidelines it issued in 2020 concerning PoP were not statutory but merely recommendatory.
After this hearing, the bench remarked,
“This is a classic case of diluting one’s own authority. The court is saying you have power, you are saying no.”
In light of the CPCB’s statement, the Maharashtra Advocate General, Dr. Birendra Saraf, requested additional time to clarify the state government’s stance on the issue.
The Ganpati festival is set to begin on August 27, 2025, and with only 65 days left, the petitioners asked the court to specify in its order that the ban established in January has been modified.