Mumbai, Jun 9 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Monday allowed manufacturing of Plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganpati idols, but with a caveat that they cannot be immersed in natural water bodies without its permission, a ruling coming as a relief for thousands of artisans in Maharashtra.
With the latest ruling, the HC has modified its January 2025 order which had imposed a complete ban on manufacturing and sale of Ganpati idols made out of PoP, a material considered environmentally harmful by green activists.
The verdict comes a little over two months ahead of the Ganesh festival, a major religious event in Maharashtra.
The court directed the state government to take a policy decision with regard to immersion of PoP idols in the light of latest recommendations made by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s expert committee.
The committee has clarified that recommendations are advisory in nature and the state government can draft its own policy in regards of immersion of such idols.
A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne gave the ruling while hearing a bunch of petitions seeking implementation of the revised guidelines of the CPCB in regards to PoP idols.
A PIL has claimed the idol industry was still operating and PoP idols are being made and immersed in water bodies in flagrant violation of CPCB guidelines.
Other petitioners, mostly Ganesh associations and artisans, claimed that guidelines have been formed without considering the benefits of PoP. They have argued these guidelines are in violation of the principles of natural justice and not legally enforceable.
The CPCB, through its counsel, submitted that its expert committee made recommendations on May 21, 2025 and clarified that the revised guidelines are advisory in nature.
The state government may take a policy decision with regard to immersion of idols made of PoP subject to conditions contained in the recommendations, it said.
Thus, in the view of the stand taken by the CPCB as well as the recommendations made by its committee, the court permitted members of the petitioner associations as well as any other artisans to make idols of PoP.
However, such idols shall not be immersed in natural water bodies without the leave of this court, the bench observed.
The matter will be next heard on June 30. PTI AVI RSY
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