Chennai: It is not permissible to immerse Vinayagar idols at the environmentally sensitive Pattinapakkam and Neelangarai beaches. The National Green Tribunal has ordered that the idols be sent to other locations.
In connection with Vinayagar Chaturthi, immersing idols in water bodies causes pollution. Hariharan from Chennai’s Pudupet had filed a petition in the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal in 2023, seeking an order to take action to prevent the immersion of idols in undeclared water bodies.
This case came up for hearing yesterday before the tribunal bench comprising judicial member Pushpa Sathyanarayana and technical member Prashanth Gargava.
At that time, reports were filed on behalf of 38 district collectors, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, and the Chennai Corporation. In them, it was stated that measures have been taken to prevent the sale of idols made of plaster of Paris.
Awareness has been created among the public regarding this. It was stated that the beaches of Kasimedu, Thiruvottiyur, Ennore, Pattinapakkam, and Neelankarai in Chennai have been identified as places for immersing Ganesha idols.
Turtles breed on the beaches of Pattinapakkam and Neelankarai. Furthermore, since these areas fall under Coastal Regulation Zone-1, the petitioner argued that idols should not be permitted to be immersed there.
At that point, the intervening tribunal members asked why the statues destined for the environmentally important Pattinapakkam and Neelankarai areas could not be moved to other areas.
In response, the Tamil Nadu government’s lawyer said, “As far as shifting them to other areas is concerned, law and order, crowd congestion, and religiously sensitive areas have to be taken into account.
He requested that officials be consulted on this matter and time be given to convey the decision.” Accepting this, the tribunal members said that idols cannot be immersed at the environmentally important Neelangarai and Pattinapakkam beaches.
They have ordered that a consultation meeting be held regarding shifting the idols immersed at these 2 places to the other 4 places, and that the government’s opinion be obtained and conveyed on Sept. 16.”
