Bombay HC Mandates Ban on Plaster of Paris for Ganesh Idols

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to ensure all Ganesh mandals follow guidelines prohibiting the use of plaster of Paris (PoP) for idols. This follows a 2020 CPCB guideline. Mandals with existing permissions must comply, or face an immediate ban on PoP idols. The court emphasized urgent environmental concerns.

The Bombay High Court has issued a directive to the Maharashtra government to inform all 'sarvajanik Ganesh mandals' to mandatorily follow guidelines that ban the use of plaster of Paris (PoP) for making idols meant for immersion in water.

A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar reiterated that all mandals must adhere to the guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in May 2020, which impose a ban on PoP idols.

The court ordered that in cases where permissions for erecting mandals have already been granted, an additional condition must be immediately added, requiring them to refrain from installing PoP idols. This directive was given while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Thane-based Rohit Joshi and others, including several clay-based small-scale idol craftsmen, who sought strict implementation of the 2020 CPCB guidelines.

The bench expressed concern over stakeholders not implementing the guidelines fully and warned of a potential ban on PoP idols if compliance did not improve. Chief Justice Upadhyaya highlighted the urgent need to address the environmental degradation caused by PoP, emphasizing that extraordinary situations call for extraordinary measures.

The High Court directed commissioners of municipal corporations across Maharashtra to convene meetings with senior police officers to incorporate additional conditions for Ganesh mandals in line with the revised CPCB guidelines. State Advocate General Birendra Saraf informed the bench about a circular issued by the environment department, mandating district magistrates, CEOs of zilla parishads, and chief officers of municipal councils to rigorously enforce the guidelines. The court also urged the state to take a policy decision for stricter implementation of these guidelines, setting the next hearing for October 21.

(With inputs from agencies.)