Mumbai, Jul 29 The Maharashtra government on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will chair a meeting on July 31 to discuss Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to use eco-friendly clay idols during the Ganesh festival.
Advocate General Milind Sathe informed the bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and Kamal Khata that the meeting was called following the Prime Minister's appeal during his recent "Mann Ki Baat" address.
The bench said it wanted a "comprehensive compilation" on the issue before taking a final view.
The court, meanwhile, heard the arguments of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idol makers. Advocate Uday Warunjikar, appearing for PoP idol manufacturers, argued that the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) 2020 revised guidelines banning PoP idols lacked statutory backing, and therefore could not be enforced.
Both clay and PoP idols have environmental impact, he claimed, adding that clay settles at the bottom of water bodies after immersion and can contribute to pollution, while artificial colours used to paint idols are more harmful than PoP.
The court will continue hearing arguments on Thursday.
At the last hearing, the court had cited PM Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' address aired on Sunday, and asked the government about its response.
Last year, after the CPCB stated that its guidelines were advisory in nature, the court allowed immersion of PoP idols over six feet in height in natural water bodies as per the state government's 2025 policy.
Public Interest Litigations have been seeking strict enforcement of the CPCB guidelines. PoP idol manufacturers have contended that their fundamental right to carry on their business would be affected by a ban.
