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Order of the National Green Tribunal pollution of river Hooghly after immersion of idols during various Puja festivals, West Bengal, 06/10/2017

  • 06/10/2017

Order of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Ambar Nath Sengupta Vs State of West Bengal & Others dated 06/10/2017 regarding pollution of river Hooghly after immersion of idols during various Puja festivals. Further direction has been sought for against the WBSPCB to constitute a committee to conduct a scientific study to assess the impact of Plaster of Paris (in short, PoP), a powder used for making idols, on its potential to cause pollution of water and to suggest remedies therefor.

NGT in its Judgement stated that the CPCB guidelines are exhaustive in so far as regulation for immersion of idol is concerned, and all that is required is for the State Governments, the local bodies and the State Pollution Control Boards to implement those effectively. There shall be a complete ban on the use of POP in idol making till it is established that POP has no negative effect on the water quality and aquatic biodiversity according to the Eastern Zone Bench of NGT as well as a complete ban on the use of synthetic colour for painting of idols that would require immersion as part of final ritual of the festival. NGT also limited the height of idol to 20 ft.