A contempt notice has been issued to Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao, the civic administration and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board over allegations that plaster of Paris idols shorter than six feet were immersed directly in Thane Creek, in violation of Bombay High Court directions.
The notice was issued by petitioner Rohit Manohar Joshi through his advocate Ronita Bhattacharya Bector. It also calls for similar practices to be stopped in the municipal areas of Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar and Kalyan-Dombivli if such immersions are taking place there. Joshi has warned that a contempt petition may be filed in the High Court if the immersion of the idols in the creek is not stopped immediately.
Under the court’s directions, POP idols below six feet must be immersed in artificial ponds. Idols taller than six feet may be immersed in natural water bodies subject to specified conditions. The arrangements are linked to the state government’s undertaking before the court that idols and other materials would be removed from the water within 24 hours after immersion.
According to the allegations cited in the notice, smaller POP idols were immersed directly in the creek at Parsik Retibunder, Kopri Retibunder, Mahagiri Koliwada and the Kolshet creek area in Thane. Joshi has said that idols immersed on September 15, along with their remains, were still visible floating in the creek or lying in the mud on September 17 and 18.
The allegations raise questions about the enforcement of court-mandated immersion rules by municipal and police authorities during the festival period. The directions distinguish between the size of an idol and the type of water body permitted for immersion, placing responsibility on local administrations to provide and monitor compliant arrangements for smaller POP idols.
Speaking to Loksatta, Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao said he was not aware of having received the notice as of the time of his response. He added that he would verify whether any such notice had reached the civic office. The report does not include a response from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board or the other municipal corporations named in the notice.
The notice now places the alleged violations before the concerned civic and pollution-control authorities. Any further action, including the possible filing of a contempt petition, will depend on the verification of the allegations and the authorities’ response.
