<p>Mumbai: In what comes as a major relief to artisans, the Bombay High Court has allowed manufacturing of Lord Ganesh idols made up of Plaster-of-Paris, however, these cannot be immersed in natural water bodies without permission. </p><p>The order came from a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne on Monday.</p><p>The artisans had contended that the ban on PoP idols violated their fundamental rights under Articles 14 (equality), 19 (right to practice any profession), 21 (right to life and liberty), 25 (freedom of religion), and 300-A (protection of property) of the Indian Constitution. </p>.Sharad and Ajit Pawar share dais at the Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Maharashtra.<p>They also argued that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines could not be considered a law enacted by the legislature.</p><p>On January 30, 2025 two days prior to Maghi Ganesh Utsav, a division bench headed by by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe had directed the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and other agencies to ensure the (Central Pollution Control Board CPCB) guidelines of prohibiting the use of PoP are strictly followed.</p><p>With the latest ruling, the High Court 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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The matter will be next heard on June 30.</p>
<p>Mumbai: In what comes as a major relief to artisans, the Bombay High Court has allowed manufacturing of Lord Ganesh idols made up of Plaster-of-Paris, however, these cannot be immersed in natural water bodies without permission. </p><p>The order came from a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne on Monday.</p><p>The artisans had contended that the ban on PoP idols violated their fundamental rights under Articles 14 (equality), 19 (right to practice any profession), 21 (right to life and liberty), 25 (freedom of religion), and 300-A (protection of property) of the Indian Constitution. </p>.Sharad and Ajit Pawar share dais at the Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Maharashtra.<p>They also argued that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines could not be considered a law enacted by the legislature.</p><p>On January 30, 2025 two days prior to Maghi Ganesh Utsav, a division bench headed by by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe had directed the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and other agencies to ensure the (Central Pollution Control Board CPCB) guidelines of prohibiting the use of PoP are strictly followed.</p><p>With the latest ruling, the High Court 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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The matter will be next heard on June 30.</p>