Mandatory for Ganpati mandals not to use Plaster of Paris idols

No visarjan will take place in Aarey lakes this year, too.

- Urvi Mahajani

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to inform all Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandals that they have to mandatorily follow the guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in May 2020, banning the use of Plaster of Paris (POP) for religious idols that will be immersed in water. The court further said, in cases where the permissions had already been granted, an additional condition shall be 'immediately added that mandals shall not instal idols made of PoP.

The directions were issued by the high court while hearing a PIL by Thane-based Rohit Joshi and others, including nine clay-based and small-scale craftsmen of idols, seeking strict implementation of the 2020 CPCB guidelines. Initially, the court had warned that it would impose a ban on the use of PoP idols as the CPCB guidelines have been in force since 2020 and the stakeholders were not implementing the same in letter and spirit.

"We are banning the sale and use of such idols.

We are compelled to pass such an order. You may have heard of saying extraordinary situations call for extraordinary order.

"These guidelines have been in place since 2020. What can be a more urgent and exigent situation than a degrading environment?" the CJ asked.