The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has inquired about the actions that will be taken against Ganeshotsav mandals that violate rules and conditions. The Court has directed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to submit an affidavit detailing the actions taken against these mandals. The affidavit must be submitted by October 1. The matter was heard on Friday by Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Abhay Mantri. Previously, the High Court had instructed the NMC to provide a guarantee letter concerning the non-usage of Plaster of Paris (POP) for Ganesh idols. Building on this, the Court has expressed objections to the use of other polluting materials in addition to POP, in accordance with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines. The Court has mandated that the NMC submit an affidavit by October 1, detailing the measures to be taken against manufacturers and sellers of such materials. The NMC has informed the Court that a fine of Rs 4,20,000 has been imposed on sellers of POP idols. Considering the environmental hazards associated with immersing POP idols in natural water sources, the High Court has itself initiated the PIL.

 

In a previous hearing, the Court had ordered the NMC to provide a response regarding compliance with CPCB guidelines to prevent the immersion of idols in natural water sources. The Corporation had submitted the required information to the Court. However, the Court has stressed the need for an urgent meeting to inform Ganeshotsav mandals about the rules. The Court had previously ordered the Police Commissioner and other relevant departments to participate in this meeting. During the recent hearing, the NMC presented its planning efforts. The High Court has instructed the NMC to amend its approach accordingly and to submit an affidavit detailing the actions taken against manufacturers, sellers, and mandals that violate the rules. Adv Shreerang Bhandarkar appeared as amicus curiae, Adv Gemini Kasat for NMC and Adv Ravi Sanyal for MPCB.