The Supreme Court on September 18 declined to intervene against a Madras High Court decision to prohibit the sale of Ganesha idols made of Plaster of Paris in Tamil Nadu.
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud had in the morning agreed to urgently hear an artisan who had challenged the Madras High Court Division Bench order stopping the sale of Ganesha idols made of Plaster of Paris.
The idols are immersed as part of the Ganesha Chaturthi festivities on September 19.
The Division Bench of the High Court had stopped the sale of the Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols in a special sitting on Sunday.
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On Sunday, the Division Bench had set aside a Single Judge order of the Madras High Court allowing sale of the idols, provided the artisans maintain a proper register for the inspection of the authorities, The Single Judge had only imposed restrictions on the immersion of the idols made of PoP.
The Division Bench of the High Court on Sunday ordered that “there shall be an order of interim stay of operation of the order [of the Single Judge]. The appellants may take appropriate action against any one to prevent manufacturing, selling or immersion of idols made of plaster of paris or plastics, etc, in adherence to the revised guidelines”.
The Division Bench had relied on the orders of the National Green Tribunal and the guidelines of the Pollution Control Board to pass its order.
