Overview

• The Bombay High Court removed its complete prohibition on PoP Ganpati idols, reinstating artisans’ rights to produce and sell them.
• Idols made of Plaster of Paris cannot be immersed in rivers, lakes or the sea without prior court permission.
• The CPCB told the court its 2020 guidelines are advisory, giving states leeway to set their own immersion rules.
• Maharashtra’s cultural affairs minister said the government will draft a policy and arrange eco-friendly immersion facilities for large idols by June 30.
• Anil Kakodkar’s expert panel recommended that sea immersion of PoP idols is feasible under environmental safeguards.