Hyderabad: City-basically basically based artisans heaved a relate of relief because the Telangana Excessive Court docket did no longer instruct an declare limiting the usage of plaster of Paris (PoP) in making idols of deities, for Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja, on the grounds that the inform govt has no longer issued a govt declare banning or prohibiting the equal.
The case pertains to a PIL filed by artisan bodies in opposition to pointers issued by the central pollution administration board, banning the usage of PoP in idols.
A division bench of Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice S. Nanda, adjourning the case till September, when the legality of the CPCB pointers would be assessed, nonetheless, acknowledged that the Telangana govt ought to aloof instruct a G.O. on change arrangements for immersing Ganesh idols made of PoP and varied offers — reasonably than Hussainsagar and varied lakes — by August 31, forward of the originate of the Ganesh Chaturthi.
The Excessive Court docket cited pointers of the Supreme Court docket no longer to enable immersion of PoP idols in lakes, and suggested the inform to ranking puny one ponds in advance for immersing such idols.
The courtroom moreover declined the inform govt’s query of to cap the height of idols at four feet, faulting the governmentfor no longer issuing a circular or declare by March, in protecting with outdated judgments of the Excessive Court docket within the matter.
The courtroom directed the inform govt to peer the pointers issued by the West Bengal govt for the immersion of Durga idols.
In their arguments, the petitioners within the case — Telangana Ganesh Murthi Kalakar Welfare Association of Dhoolpet, Lodh Kshatriya Sadar Panchayat and varied particular particular person artisans — requested the courtroom to allege the ban on PoP imposed by CPCB unlawful, on the grounds of no longer having jurisdiction. Additional, they requested the courtroom to restrain pollution authorities, GHMC and police from interfering within the idol-making process.
The CPCB issued the pointers on the grounds that immersion of PoP idols would pose a possibility to waterbodies as PoP doesn’t dissolve in water.
On the other hand, the petitioners countered that the PoP become once no longer a pollutant and that gypsum minerals, which toughen PoP, yarn for easiest one per cent of the substance when in contrast to varied offers cherish cement and those aged in hospitals.
Additional, the petitioners’ counsel said that failure to present immediate relief would non-public an affect on the livelihood of artisans, who’re relying on the festive season.
After the petitioners introduced it to the consciousness of the courtroom that the inform has no longer issued orders to this level, the courtroom allowed them to reveal PoP in idols.
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