Direct all public Ganesh festival Mandals not to install POP Ganesh idols

Bombay High Court directive to Municipal Corporations

(POP is Plaster of Paris)

POP Ganeshmurti (left), Mumbai High Court

Mumbai – The Bombay High Court has asked all the civic bodies in Maharashtra to make sure every Ganeshotsav Mandals use eco-friendly idols. The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra Government to clearly intimate the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and all other civic bodies across the State to inform all the ‘Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandals’ or Ganesh Puja committees to not use Plaster of Paris Ganesh idols and strictly follow the Central Pollution Control Board guidelines on idol immersion that does not allow POP idols for immersion.

Impose a condition on Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandals prohibiting the installation of POP Ganesh idols – Bombay HC’s Directive to Municipalities in Maharashtra

Instructs all municipalities in the state to respond#GaneshChaturthi2024 pic.twitter.com/uVx1RXRvho

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) August 30, 2024

It suggested the state government come up with a statutory mechanism with deterrent measures including imposing fines in case of violation of guidelines. By doing this, POP idols will not be made from next time. Noting that the permissions to various mandals have been granted by now, the bench said the mandals shall be informed that they shall mandatorily follow guidelines.

Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking strict implementation of the May 2020 CPCB guidelines, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar said that civic bodies must take undertakings of Ganesh idols from all the Ganesh Puja committees. The PIL was filed by Thane-based Rohit Joshi, nine clay-based and small-scale craftsmen of idols and others. The issue of ban on POP Ganesha idols was heard again in the High Court. The next hearing will be held on 21^stOctober.

Orders to reply to all municipalities in the state

The bench further said, ‘We are issuing orders for ‘Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandals’. All Municipal Corporations in the state should submit an affidavit in this regard. After receiving the reply on the affidavit of the State Government and the municipality, we will analyse the issue and issue the appropriate order for action. Nagpur Bench has also issued some directions on the issue on 28^thAugust.

On 26^thApril 2024, all District Magistrates, Commissioners of Municipalities, Chief Officers of Municipalities in the state have been directed to strictly follow the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board.

On 12^thMay 2020, as per the order of the Supreme Court, POP was banned across the country. Earlier, POP idol manufacturers and green arbitrators had challenged the ‘POP ban’ in the High Court. It was announced that the ban on POP will come into force from the year 2021; but the ban has not been effectively implemented till date. Recently seven idol makers were fined Rs 10,000 each in Nagpur.