No need for stricter rules for idol immersion,says court
Mumbai: The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court on Tuesday disposed of a PIL seeking stricter regulation on immersion of Ganesh idols made of plaster of Paris (PoP) after observing that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had framed guidelines on the issue last year.
A bench of Justices D B Bhosale and R M Borde expressed hope that the state government would implement the guidelines.
The CPCB norms recommends that states encourage and promote use of traditional material like natural clay instead of baked clay or PoP for making idols and prohibit painting idols with toxic or synthetic paints.
The CPCB said that metals,ornaments,oily substances,synthetic colours and chemicals were being used to decorate idols,affecting the aquatic environment severely when immersed.
While the CPCB did not ban PoP outright,it encouraged the use of clay,which is more environment friendly.
Debi Goenka said,It is high time we went back to traditional Ganpati idols and celebrations. He said that chemicals in the paints and preservatives on the idols leads to greater pollution and poses serious threat to humans and aquatic life.In Mumbai,civic bodies are already enforcing most aspects of the guidelines.
The CPCB guidelines were the outcome of an 2008 Bombay HC order passed in response to a PIL filed in 2003 by a Mumbai NGO,Janhit Manch,seeking restriction on immersion of PoP idols in water bodies.
By its order on Tuesday the Aurangabad bench disposed of a separate PIL filed before it in 2005 and an intervention application filed recently by Hindu Jan Jagriti Samiti opposing the PIL.The PIL,filed by Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti,sought the immersion of chemically painted PoP Ganpati idols be done only in artificial ponds.
FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES
* Idols should be made from natural materials.Encourage,promote use of traditional clay instead of baked clay or plaster of Paris
* Discourage painting of Idols or ensure that only water soluble and nontoxic natural dyes are used
* Worship material like flowers,clothes,decorating material should be removed before immersion of idols