Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Monday sought three more weeks to finalise its policy on the immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols, prompting the Bombay High Court to ask it not to delay further given the upcoming festival season.
A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne was hearing a batch of petitions filed by Ganesh idol makers’ associations challenging the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) guidelines that prohibited both the manufacture and immersion of PoP idols.
Earlier this month, the High Court had permitted the manufacture and sale of such idols, clarifying that the CPCB’s revised guidelines pertained only to immersion in natural water bodies—not the making or selling of PoP idols.
However, the larger issue regarding where and how these idols may be immersed is still pending, with the court directing the state to take a policy decision based on an expert committee’s recommendations submitted to the CPCB.
On Monday, Advocate General Birendra Saraf informed the bench that interdepartmental meetings had taken place, including those with municipal commissioners and the environment department. However, the government needed three more weeks to “crystallise” its immersion policy.
The court noted it was willing to grant reasonable time but expressed concern over the approaching festival season. “Festivals begin in August. We also need time to examine the policy. This cannot be delayed any further,” the bench said, directing that the final policy decision be filed before the court by July 21. The matter will be heard on July 23.
“The issue is not with regard to manufacture anymore. That has been permitted,” Chief Justice Aradhe observed. “The issue now is strictly with regard to immersion.”
The High Court’s earlier interim relief came after the CPCB clarified that its 2020 revised guidelines banned only the immersion of PoP idols in natural water bodies, but not their manufacture or sale.
The petitioners, including idol makers and their associations, had contended that the CPCB’s blanket ban infringed on their fundamental rights and livelihoods, especially ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
