High Court presses for no pomp or showy Ganesh festival this year

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday advised that the Ganesha festival celebrations be held without the usual pomp at in view of the pandemic.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) M.S. Ramchandra Rao and Justice Vinod Kumar said it would issue related directions on September 6.

The bench directed the GHMC commissioner, Pollution Control Board, the police commissioners in the GHMC limits and the Baghyanagar Ganesh Utsav Committee to file suggestions or measures that are implementable in relation to the smooth conduct of the festival.

The court appreciated the efforts made by the government, the GHMC and the police at last year's Ganesh festival and said they should be continued this year.

The court observed that there was the need to effect restrictions on the erection of pandals in public places, the number of idols coming from far-off places to Hussainsagar, movement of contract carriage vehicles, number of people accompanying each Ganesh idol on immersion day.

The court said police should ensure is physical distancing, and less sound pollution from the pandals.

Stating that the court was not against religious celebrations, Acting Chief Justice Ramachandra Rao said, “We are all in the midst of the pandemic and a third wave is feared, and there are many new mutations of the virus. So, this situation calls for restrictions.”

Justice Rao asked senior counsel L. Ravichander, who represented the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Ustav Committee, to counsel his clients in this regard.

The bench faulted the central and state pollution control boards, GHMC and the government for remaining silent against the violators of the High Court directions on immersion of Ganesha idols in the Hussainsagar.

‘”The law grants power to PCB to take stringent action against the violators who are polluting the lake by immersing the idols made of plaster of Paris, synthetic colours etc. PCB has teeth under the act, but it not using it. Be a proactive PCB, rather than an inactive PCB,” the Acting CJ said.

“I have noticed that very good beautification work was done at Tank Bund. But, it will all be spoiled at the time of immersions of idols with actions like erection of cranes and presence of vehicles carrying idols and the heavy crowds there. With these, all the public money spent for the beautification will turn waste. So, the GHMC should go for alternatives,” ACJ Rao said.