The Maharashtra government will request the Bombay High Court seeking an extension on implementing the order banning Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols until a report is received from an expert committee formed to study whether pollution caused by PoP idols can be reduced or nullified completely.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday informed the Legislative Council members about the state government’s plan to approach the court on its interim order banning the use of PoP for making idols.
A Ganesh idol being immersed in water. Pic/Satej Shinde
Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state Legislative Council, said that the ban is taking a toll on families that are dependent on income through the business of making idols. “The government should think of people’s sentiments and those who will be losing their bread and butter,” said Danve and demanded that the state find a solution to this issue.
Responding, Fadnavis stated that his government is on the same page as the LoP when it comes to this issue. However, the CM further stated that no one supports or endorses any activities that can cause damage to the environment.
“It is not the government that has banned the use of PoP. It is the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the directives of the court,” Fadnavis informed the Legislative Council members.
Explaining the state government’s stance on the issue, Fadnavis said that a committee of experts from the science and information commission has been formed. “Chairman of the commission, Dr Anil Kakodkar, is heading the committee. The government has requested the committee to study whether the pollution caused by the PoP idols can be eliminated or reduced through technology,” Fadnavis added.
Since the committee has been formed to study all aspects of this issue, the government would approach the HC with a request to give time till a report is received from an expert committee. “We will approach the high court with a request seeking an extension on time to implement a ban on the use of PoP till a report is received by the government,” the CM stated, conlcuding the discussion.
The Bombay HC in January this year issued an interim order banning the manufacture, sale, and immersion of PoP idols, following Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines. It had, in August last year, directed the Maharashtra government to inform the BMC and all other civic bodies across the state to inform all the mandals and committees to not use Plaster of Paris Ganesh idols.
Those affected by the high court’s decision have been meeting political leaders with a request to bail them out from this situation. In fact, representatives of the idol makers and Ganpati mandals had a meeting with Ashish Shelar, president of the Mumbai unit of the BJP, on problems they are facing due to the high court’s ban order.
Last year, Shelar, along with a delegation of these representatives, met then-deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to find a problem on this subject.
