Mumbai: Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the state govt and BMC if it is possible to create bigger artificial water tanks for immersion of plaster of paris (PoP) Ganpati idols up to 8ft tall. As of now, artificial tanks can accommodate idols 5ft and under. “See to what extent it is feasible you can increase the height up to, say, 8ft. Because we want the impact to be bare minimal on the environment,” said a bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne while directing both to inform it of the decision on Thursday. On a PIL to enforce Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) May 2020 revised guidelines that ban the manufacture and sale of PoP idols, HC had on Jan 30 directed strict adherence to the ban. On May 21, CPCB’s committee clarified that the guidelines are “advisory in nature”, but added that immersion would not be allowed in natural bodies, such as lakes and seas. Hence on June 9, HC lifted the ban on manufacture of PoP idols and directed the state to take a policy decision on immersion. Advocate general Birendra Saraf submitted the state policy guidelines. He said idols for household celebrations or those up to 5ft have to be mandatorily immersed only in artificial tanks. There are nearly 2 lakh such idols. Saraf said idols taller than 5ft can be immersed in natural water bodies, but the local body has to remove all immersed idols and get the seabed cleaned the very next morning. To the judges’ query, he said in Mumbai, there are over 7,000 idols taller than 5ft. The judges said 7,000 idols “going into water bodies is an environmental hazard”. Saraf said, “These are of Mumbai, and all over [Maharashtra], larger Ganpatis are much fewer.” “Still, 7,000 is a huge number,” the CJ said. Saraf said there are 3,865 idols 5-10ft tall and 3,998 above 10ft. Asked if idols up to 10ft can be immersed in an artificial tank, he said, “The whole tank will get occupied by that one idol”, and PoP idols take a long time to dissolve. The judges asked if it is feasible to make larger tanks so that more idols can be immersed. “Can separate tanks be prepared for sarvajanik mandals above 5ft height?” asked Justice Marne. The judges also asked if the idol’s height in an artificial tank can be increased to 8ft. “Is it doable? Come and tell us,” the CJ said.
