India, July 24 -- The Bombay High Court on Thursday ruled that all Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) and under 6 feet in height must be mandatorily immersed in artificial water bodies across Maharashtra until March 2026. The decision, aimed at reducing environmental damage, applies not only to Ganesh Utsav but also to Navratri, Maghi Ganesh, and all festivals involving idol immersions.

The directive follows a series of hearings on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that challenged the immersion of PoP idols in natural water sources and contested the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) guidelines. A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep V Marne emphasized that the interim arrangement was necessary to minimi...