Mumbai: Supreme Court norms ignored as POP idols flood Mira-Bhayandar markets

POP idols continue to be made at workshop in Mira-Bhayandar town

Pop idols continue to be on sale in the city and its outskirts which is in violation of the norms set by the apex court. While the demand for POP idols from retail buyers is gradually slowing down due to environmental awareness, its sale has not gone down well with nature lovers.

Despite clear directives from the Supreme Court and the Central Pollution Control Board, POP idols continue to be openly sold in various markets and public places in the Mira-Bhayandar area.

According to information obtained via RTI by environmentalist Harshad Dhage, during the Ganesha Festival in 2021, as many as 17,253 large and small household POP idols were immersed in the sea in Mira-Bhayandar town. This number increased to 19,259 in 2022 and further to 20,310 in 2023. Less than 10 per cent of these idols were made from environmentally friendly materials such as shadu clay.

As per the guidelines established by the CPCB under the Water Pollution Act and the Environment Protection Act, pollutants cannot be directly dumped into the sea. For idol immersion, these guidelines mandate the use of artificial ponds. However, according to RTI findings, these artificial ponds designated for POP idol immersion are often reportedly mismanaged, leading to polluted water and idols being released directly into the sea. Environmentalists have argued that this mismanagement has resulted in a substantial amount of pollutants being discharged into the sea by municipal authorities.

Harshad Dhage, founder and president of For Future India, an environmental youth organisation, has consistently called for urgent and stringent measures to enforce the prohibition of POP idols in Mira-Bhayandar. "Regular inspections of markets and public places should be conducted to ensure compliance. Vendors found violating the ban under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and other relevant laws should be subject to legal action and severe penalties," Dhage added.

Vasant Raje, president of the Shree Ganesh Murti Kala Samithi said, "The municipal corporation is not following the CPCB norms. We wrote a letter to the BMC in February 2024, for the strict implementation of the ban of POP idols. We also suggested that BMC should start a checkpoint at the entry of the city as most POP idols are transported from outside of the city.

But we haven't received any response from the authorities. We have been raising this issue for the last three years, but the BMC has not responded.

Environmentalist Stalin D from NGO Vanashakti said, "The state government is encouraging the violations. Despite the high court and Supreme Court banning POP idols, the state government is showing no interest towards protecting our freshwater bodies and marine zones. Religious rituals have to be celebrated in an environmentally friendly manner. POP is not a traditionally used material and it pollutes and kills marine life."

Despite repeated attempts, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Prashant Sapkale did not respond to the call and the message.

20,310
No. of POP idols immersed in 2023 in Mira Bhayandar