What happened
A captioned photo frame shows an artisan from Bihar working on a large Plaster of Paris (PoP) Mahaganapati idol at an idol-making unit in Dhoolpet, Hyderabad. The frame’s caption alleges that idol-makers continue making PoP idols even after repeated Telangana High Court directives to use eco-friendly clay, and it attributes continued PoP use to “strong demand.”
Background and earlier position
PoP idols are used for festivals, but PoP material is non-biodegradable and is linked with environmental concerns during idol immersion and disposal. In environmental cases, courts can direct stakeholders to use less polluting alternatives such as eco-friendly clay to reduce pollution load and waste problems.
What changed now (reported claim)
The reported change, as alleged in the captioned evidence, is not a new law but a compliance gap: idol-makers in Dhoolpet, Hyderabad are alleged to continue PoP Mahaganapati idol production despite repeated Telangana High Court directions to use eco-friendly clay.
Related current affairs
- News in Frames: Ganesha idol-making and the eco-friendly material debate
- Telengana CA ends life of man in high court… (statement on lynching/conviction)
- 91% of industries in NCR fail to comply with emissions norms, get 2 months
- Challenges cited (in the emissions compliance story)
- No blanket cover, but room for clean-ups: Supreme Court’s ‘public interest’ approach to retrospective nods
- State of play: HYDRAA and the High Court order against its chief