Nagpur: The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has voiced concerns over the escalating competition to install large idols during festivals. This trend, often involving expenditures of crores of rupees, has ignited a debate on how to manage the excesses associated with such displays. During a hearing, Justices Nitin Sambre and Abhay Mantri questioned the feasibility of controlling this trend and highlighted the potential negative implications.
The hearing, linked to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) focused on the environmental impact of Plaster of Paris (POP) idols, will continue on August 21. Advocate Shrirang Bhandarkar, representing the case, emphasized the increasing water pollution caused by the immersion of POP idols in reservoirs.
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The High Court initiated this PIL in 2021 to address the environmental issues associated with idol immersion. During the proceedings, Advocate Bhandarkar pointed out that the state government has already implemented a policy to mitigate these issues, which was confirmed by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
The environmental concerns extend beyond POP idols to include the chemical dyes used for coloring them. Scientist Jayant Gadgil presented a report highlighting the pollution caused by these dyes when idols are immersed. This report, submitted to the High Court, has led to calls for a ban on the immersion of all types of idols into natural lakes.
The Court has mandated that both the state government and the municipal corporation submit an affidavit within two weeks detailing the implementation of this policy.
