Set guidelines for idol immersions, says High Court

Mumbai, July 22 Centre, state directed to create public awareness on need to protect water bodies and environment
In A 10-page judgment on Tuesday, the Bombay High Court directed the Union government and state government to expeditiously formulate guidelines regarding immersion of idols during the Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja festivals.
“The time lost involving pollution might prove dangerous for environment of the country in the long run,” a division bench of Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice A P Deshpande observed. The judgment was passed on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by non-governmental organisation Janhit Manch seeking to restrict immersion of idols and flower offerings during festivals, which pollute the waters.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), had earlier submitted its recommendations stating that “people should be encouraged to go for smaller size idols”.
The PIL had claimed that 1.5 lakh idols are immersed every year, of which 1 lakh are immersed off the beaches of Mumbai.
An affidavit filed by the Chief Secretary had stated that nobody can justify pollution of the atmosphere or water bodies. He also stated that creating public awareness would be as important as implementation of laws. “Unfortunately, he has given no details of his programme of creating public awareness,” the court observed.
Another affidavit filed by the Additional Director of the MoEF had told the court that the Central government is considering framing guidelines for immersion. “This court is not in a position to decide what a religion permits and what it doesn’t,” the judgment states.
“We expect that the government would constitute a committee and devise a methodology by which the public shall be made aware about the need to protect water bodies and environment,” the judgment states.
The court has also granted some relief to certain prayers by the petitioner and has directed the authorities concerned to construct adequate number of ladies and gents toilets on the stretch of beach between Santa Cruz and Khar Danda.
Although the court has directed the authorities to do it at the earliest, no deadline has been set. “We expect the Central government will consider laying down guidelines for immersion of idols and would also consider related matters with regard to pollution of water bodies,” the judgment states.
The CPCB had earlier told the court that the “toxic chemicals used in making idols tend to leach out and pose serious problems of water pollution”. It further stated that “studies carried out to assess deterioration in water quality due to immersion of idols have revealed that water quality gets deteriorated in respect of conductivity, bio-chemical oxygen demand and concentration of heavy metals”.
The CPCB had also recommended the use of traditional clay for making idols rather than baked clay, without using paint or with the use of water soluble and non-toxic natural dyes. The CPCB also stated that worship materials like flowers, clothes and decorating materials should be removed prior to immersion.
Mohan Kumar
Posted online: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 03:46:39Updated: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 03:46:39
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