Immersion of Vinayaka idols may attract fees

CHENNAI: Immersing Vinayaka idols in the water bodies may attract fees as the Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the government to fix upfront fees to be collected from the persons who are seeking permission to immerse the idols.

"The committee constituted by this Tribunal shall convene a meeting at least six months before the Vinayagar Chaturthi festival every year so that through proper consultation and education, artificial tanks can be created, water bodies can be notified well in advance, manufacture of idols with POP (plaster of paris) can be prevented, " the bench comprising justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, directed while hearing a case pertaining to pollution during Ganesh Chaturthi.

The bench further directed the committee to fix the upfront fees to be collected from the parties or persons who seek permission for immersion of idols in the designated water bodies, before the scheduled Vinayagar Chaturthi festival. The committee will determine the fee for such immersion depending on the size of the idol to be immersed, as per the order.

It may noted that the Tribunal, in its earlier order, constituted a committee under the secretary of environment, forest and climate change department to implement the guidelines fixed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

"The District Level Authorities should launch a sensitization campaign on the need for responsible immersion of idols worshipped during the Vinayagar Chaturthi festival. The amounts collected for immersion of idols may be usefully spent on the maintenance of the designated water bodies, " the Tribunal added.

While issuing the order the Bench observed, "it is also noticed that no fee is being collected by the authorities while permitting the immersion of idols in designated locations as a result the burden of cleaning up falls squarely on the Government and the Local bodies. Such practices negate the 'Polluter Pays' principle. Ideally, the authorities should not only penalize those associations/individuals who are immersing the idols in water bodies which have not been notified but also should collect an upfront fee while permitting the immersion of idols in the designated locations so that the burden of removal, cleaning and restoration is borne by the associations/ agencies/ individuals who are permitted to immerse the idols in the designated locations."