HC seeks Maharashtra government's response on plea against PoP idols

Mumbai, Jul 31 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Wednesday sought response from the Maharashtra government on a plea seeking the implementation of a complete ban on the use of Plaster of Paris (PoP) for making religious idols that are immersed in water.
The directive comes ahead of the popular Ganesh festival.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had issued "Revised Guidelines for Idol Immersion" on May 12, 2020, mandating a complete ban on use of PoP "due to the extreme and irreparable water pollution caused by the immersion of these idols in natural water bodies".
A public interest litigation filed by a group of citizens and clay idol makers claimed this guidelines was not being implemented fully in Maharashtra.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar issued a notice to the state government and sought its response.

The petitioners' advocate Ronita Bhattacharya submitted that despite the CPCB ban in 2020, which was to come into effect in 2021, the state is dilly-dallying over its implementation to appease manufacturers of PoP idols.

The CPCB recommended using eco-friendly idols made of natural clay and biodegradable materials, the plea claimed.

It also sought formation of district-level committees for regular checks to ensure effective implementation of the revised CPCB guidelines.

The court posted the matter for hearing on August 28 keeping in mind the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival in September.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)