The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the Central and State governments to explain their stand on imposition of complete ban on usage of Plaster of Paris (PoP) to make Ganesh idols.
A Bench of Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice and Justice Surepalli Nanda, hearing two writ petitions over the ban on usage of PoP to make Ganesh idols in Telangana, sought to know the response of the Union and the State governments on the matter by July 21. The Ganesh Chaturthi festival, celebrated on massive scale in Hyderabad and other parts of the State, falls on August 31.
The Bench, while noting that there were restrictions in other State on the height of the idols, said that no rules were framed to prohibit usage of PoP to make Vinayaka idols in other States like in Telangana. Two separate writ petitions were filed on the points connected to ban on usage of Ganesh idols made with PoP.
Om Prakash from Ganga Bowli of Mangalhat in Hyderabad and two others filed a writ petition over the inaction of authorities on their representation seeking permission to sell the idols they had already made using PoP. These petitioners wanted the High Court to instruct the officials to take a call on their request to permit sale of such idols. They claimed that some idols were made before the pandemic began.
Telangana Ganesh Murthi Kalakaar Association and eight others filed a separate plea questioning the ban on idols made of PoP. They contended that the ban imposed by the Central Pollution Control Board-New Delhi was arbitrary and illegal.
Mr. Om Prakash and others stated that the idols made before the pandemic were lying idle and the ban on their sale resulted in huge financial loss to the makers. The association and others claimed the ban had deprived thousands of the workers of their livelihood.
Special Government Pleader Radhiv told the Bench that the State government banned Ganesh idols made of PoP as the Central Pollution Control Board imposed the ban under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act-1986 citing pollution of lakes and water bodies due to immersion of idols made with PoP. Counsel of the petitioners, however, contended that the PoP used in making the idols was minimal and it would not cause pollution of water bodies.
The matter was adjourned to July 21 for next hearing.
