Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has issued strict directives to the state government to prevent the immersion of Ganesh idols made with Plaster of Paris (PoP) in water bodies across the state, particularly in Hyderabad.
The court has emphasized that idols made of PoP can only be immersed in artificial ponds created by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and that the immersion of PoP idols in Hussain Sagar Lake or any other water bodies in Hyderabad is prohibited.
This ruling comes as the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festivities are set to culminate with a grand immersion procession on September 28, placing additional pressure on the authorities to enforce the court’s directive during the celebrations.
It was prompted by a plea from advocate M Venu Madhav, who accused the authorities of neglecting the court’s previous directions issued in 2021 regarding this issue.
While the court made it clear that its earlier judgment must be implemented, the bench, led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J Sreenivas Rao, criticized the petitioner for raising the issue at the last minute.
The court pointed out that if an interim order had been issued previously, it remains in effect, and the petitioner has the option to file a contempt petition if the order is violated.
The High Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J Sreenivas Rao, expressed displeasure over advocate Venu Madhav filing a contempt petition at the last minute.
Madhav accused the state government of disregarding a previous single judge order prohibiting the immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganesh idols in Hussain Sagar Lake.
He cited statements by Telangana ministers about deploying cranes for idol immersion as evidence of the order’s violation.
However, the bench criticized Madhav’s insistence on enforcing the ban at the eleventh hour, terming it as an attempt to “blackmail the court.”
The Additional Advocate General sought time to file the government’s response, and the hearing was postponed to September 9.
