The Telangana High Court’s orders directing the state government to ensure Lord Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (POP) are not immersed in the Hussainsagar lake nor in any other water bodies in Hyderabad has triggered protests in the city. The order comes in wake of the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, which sees the immersion of Lord Ganesh idols on the 10th and last day of the celebrations.
Over 1,00,000 idols, most of them 6 feet tall or taller, are predicted to be immersed in different lakes across Hyderabad on September 28. Hussainsagar will also witness a major chunk of these idols being immersed in the lake.
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The order by the division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice NV Shravan Kumar led to hundreds of people staging a protest on Tank Bund road, causing traffic disruption for about an hour. As the protest led to a significant traffic jam on all routes to Tank Bund, law enforcement agencies intervened to disperse the demonstrators.
The protesters expressed discontent with the state government and the High Court for the recent order, claiming injustice against Lord Ganesh devotees. “We have been immersing idols here for many years, and there were no such restrictions until now. With just two days left, how can authorities prevent us from idol immersion in Hussainsagar? This feels like toying with devotees’ sentiments,” The Indian Express quoted a protester as saying.
They called for intervention by the state government in persuading the High Court to permit idol immersion in the lake, as had been done in previous years.
However, the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi (BGUS) distanced itself from the protest as they are collaborating with lakhs of Ganesh pandals. BGUS general secretary Bhagawant Rao clarified that there were no restrictions on idol immersion and pointed out that the same order had been in effect in the previous year as well.
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“Immersion of idols is our right. Idols must be immersed following the guidelines set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and there are no restrictions on immersion. It is the government’s responsibility to arrange for idol immersion. Therefore, we do not have any issues with this,” he said, adding that the BGUS was unaware of the individuals behind the protest at Tank Bund.
Rao said that the government has arranged artificial water tanks for the purpose of immersion. Due to increased awareness of eco-friendly celebrations, many people have already switched to clay idols. On the final day, more than 50,000 idols are ready for immersion, including a 63-foot-tall Ganesh idol made of clay by the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Samithi.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone), M Venkateshwarlu, stated to Indian Express, “These pandal organizers are asking how it is fair if such instructions are given on the eve of immersion. We are talking to them. There are so many artificial water tanks created for immersion purposes. We will direct such idols to these locations.”
The division bench on Monday directed the Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand to “meticulously” follow the instructions to avoid immersion in water bodies and ensure that idols are only immersed in artificial ponds created by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The court sought a compliance report from the special government pleader (SLP) within three weeks.
In response to a petition by the Telangana Ganesh Murtikalakar Welfare Association, the court upheld the ban on the making and immersion of PoP idols due to its impact on the livelihood of artisans. The court emphasized that the state must fulfil the commitment it made to the Supreme Court in 2021 to take necessary measures to prevent immersion in Hussain Sagar Lake. The Telangana High Court’s judgment in July 2022 stated that starting this year, the immersion of PoP idols in Tank Bund is prohibited, while clay idols are permitted for immersion.
