Address environmental harm due to PoP idols: HC

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday instructed the collector and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to address the environmental concerns associated with Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols in the city within a four-week timeframe. This directive is in response to an affidavit submitted by amicus curiae Shreerang Bhandarkar, which underscored the detrimental environmental consequences of PoP idols, shortcomings in the management of immersion tanks, and the escalating pollution levels.

The bench, consisting of Justices Nitin Sambre and Vrushali Joshi, emphasised on the issues of improper waste disposal during the festive period, as well as the negligence exhibited by the authorities and relevant entities in maintaining the artificial immersion tanks, coupled with the rising pollution levels during the festive season.

The HC was hearing a a suo motu PIL (No. 3/2021) which highlighted the increasing pollution in water bodies resulting from the immersion of PoP idols.

As per the amicus, the presence of debris from idols and waste materials discarded in a water body near Surabardi and in a disposal pit at Ward number 75, along with the substandard maintenance of immersion tanks installed by the NMC near Gandhisagar Lake, where waste was strewn all around it, further exemplified the negligence.

The amicus expressed that the pollution concerns illustrated the inadequacy of the management, highlighting the deleterious impact of idol waste on the environment.