“Idols can be prepared by PoP, immersed in water”: Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti General Secy

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 12 (ANI): Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti General Secretary Rajya Vardhan Reddy said on Thursday that Lord Ganesh idols can be made from plaster of Paris (PoP) and can be immersed in water.

“Now the clear situation is that idols can be prepared by POP and they can be immersed in water. In 2021, the High Court gave guidelines that there should be separate arrangements for immersion of PoP idols and also mud idols. For that, it is for the government to take appropriate steps and make steps separately,” said Reddy.

The development comes after the Telangana High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking the revival of a contempt case from 2014 regarding the immersion of Lord Ganesha idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) in Hussainsagar.

The court ruled that the plea was “not maintainable” and urged the petitioner to file a fresh Public Interest Litigation (PIL) instead, these idols must be immersed in designated baby ponds created by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and other civic bodies, the court said.

During the proceedings, a bench comprising Justice T Vinod Kumar and Justice J Anil Kumar declined to consider a contempt petition against ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and D Sridhar Babu.

Reddy further said that he took part in the meeting held by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and other officers concerned with the immersion process. “We also took part in it, they said that they are making arrangements as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court and High Court. I hope the government will follow the directions and make appropriate arrangements for the immersion,” he added.

Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi held a press meeting on the arrangements made for the 45 Samuhik Bhagyanagar Ganesh festivities and Nimmjanam at Bhagyanagar from September 7 to September 17.

Reddy also informed about another petition regarding the PoP idols. He said, “Two days ago, the High Court dismissed a contempt petition related to immersion. Additionally, a writ petition filed by idol manufacturers regarding the use of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols, did not result in a ban on POP idol production.”

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations are organised under Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti every year and around 15 sectors of the government take part in the closing ceremony of the festival.