The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the district authorities to notify places for immersion of Vinayaka idols in each locality across the State to avoid pollution of waterbodies.
A petition, filed by Samalapuram Pallapalayam Perikulam Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam from Tiruppur, alleged that idols made of Plaster of Paris were being sold and immersion of these idols in lakes would severely pollute the waterbodies.
Noting that it would be an arduous task for the local administration to clean the waterbodies [after the immersion], the petitioner sought a direction for prohibiting immersion of idols in the Samalapuram lake during Vinayaka Chaturthi or any other festival.
The guidelines, issued by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on September 4, said idols made of natural, eco-friendly materials, such as traditional virtuous clay and mud, shall only be immersed in waterbodies notified by the district authorities.
Referring to the guidelines, the Bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Kolarpati, said the district administration should identify places for immersion of idols and publicise the list on or before September 11. “The local authorities are also directed to ensure that no idols are immersed in any of the waterbodies other than the ones notified. If there are any violations, it is open to the local authority to penalise them under the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle,” the Bench said.
