No PoP Ganesh idol immersion in Hyderabad’s Hussain Sagar Lake: HC
The court ordered that painted idols or the ones made of synthetic materials should not be immersed in Hussain Sagar Lake.
Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) will not be allowed to be immersed in Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad this year, the Telangana High Court ruled on Thursday. The high court was hearing a petition filed by advocate M Venumahadav who had sought restrictions on Ganesh and Durga idol immersions in the lake carried out every year. The order comes a day before the start of the festival on September 10.
The high court said such idols should be immersed in water ponds specially created for immersion purposes. The idol immersions usually commence on the third day of the festival and continue till the 10th day of the festival. The high court further instructed the Telangana government, state police department and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal corporation (GHMC) to strictly follow court orders, reported Sakshi Post. The court ordered that painted idols, or the ones made of synthetic materials, should not be immersed in the Hussain Sagar. The high court also stated that the Ganesh idols placed at public places should not inconvenience the public.
The high court has advised authorities to build a special rubber dam for immersion, and encourage the sale of small and environment-friendly idols. It has also asked devotees to consider reducing the height of these idols, and suggested that devotees keep the idols at their homes and complete the immersion ritual at their homes itself.
On September 8, the high court bench of acting Chief Justice, MS Ramachandra Rao, and Justice T Vinod Kumar, while hearing the petition, told authorities that it was time the “polluter pays” principle was applied in the case of idol immersions. The court said there is no point confining this principle only to industries, reported Times of India.
The high court told the state government that the mere encouragement to use clay idols will not be enough. The High Court reportedly said fear of law has to be created in the minds of people and chided the police for not being prepared to do that.
