04 September,2023 07:46 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
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The Bombay High Court on Monday questioned the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) about the steps it has taken to ensure eco-friendly immersion of Ganesha idols in water bodies at the suburban Aarey colony during the upcoming 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival, PTI reported.
A division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the non-governmental organisation Vanshakti challenging the permission granted by the civic agency for the immersion of idols in water bodies inside Aarey colony.
The bench, according to the PTI report, was surprised that the permission was granted while a 2008 high court judgement and guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) restraining the immersion of Ganesha idols made of non-biodegradable materials in natural water bodies.
The PTI report quoted the bench saying, "We fail to understand how letters have been issued by the corporation (allowing immersion)." "It is also not comprehensible how the BMC has mentioned it as an immersion site," the court was further quoted saying.
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The court then directed the civic body to file an affidavit stating what steps it has taken to ensure compliance with the statutory notification and guidelines and posted the matter for further hearing on September 8.
The bench, reportedly, also suggested that the corporation set up artificial ponds for immersion.
What did the NGO's plea state?
The NGO, in its plea, relied on the Union government notification which had declared the Aarey forest area and the water bodies situated inside it as an eco-sensitive zone. The plea stated that the permission granted by the BMC allowing the immersion of idols in Aarey was in violation of the CPCB guidelines and the 2008 High Court judgement on the issue.
The NGO Vanashakti had previously written to the Maharashtra government's environment department and other agencies requesting them to not grant permission for the immersion of idols in the water bodies in Aarey colony since it falls in the eco-sensitive zone of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. To cater to the rituals, the NGO had also urged the civic body--BMC to create or provide artificial tanks on the outskirts of the Aarey colony and allow people to use them.
