Hyderabad activist urges HYDRAA to enforce PoP idol immersion ban
Hyderabad: Social Activist and Advocate Mamidi Venu Madhav appealed A.V. Ranganath, Commissioner, Hyderabad Disaster Relief and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) to strictly follow the Telangana High Court guidelines on prohibiting immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols in tank bund. Mamidi Venu Madhav also filed a contempt case against the State government on the same and is scheduled to be heard on September 9. The activist claims the Telangana government is turning a blind eye to the ban on PoP idol immersions.
Citing the Telangana High Court orders on prohibiting immersion of Plaster of Paris(PoP) idols in tank bund, Telangana High Court Advocate Mamidi Venu Madhav said, “The Telangana High Court passed a historical judgment in 2021 directing the State of Telangana and its instrumentalities including GHMC to prohibit immersion of all type of idols from Tank Bund of Hussain Sagar lake having length of 2.5 Kms since the tank bund is very weak”.
Raising concerns that since 40 years several idols have been immersed and the bund was constructed with mud about 440 years ago, on account of piling of PoP, chemicals. Venu Madhav highlighted that “the bund becomes weak and may collapse at any movement which may result in heavy loss of life and property”.
*Warns of catastrophic consequences
Further, the court prohibited immersion of PoP made idols in the lakes of Hyderabad city including Hussain sagar lake. And the court directed to impose a ban on PoP material idols from manufacturing, immersion and sale. Only Eco friendly idols made of clay/mud shall be allowed to immerse at necklace road, secretariat etc i.e. on the banks of Hussain sagar lake.
However the GHMC approached the Supreme Court and got exemption to immerse only for 2021 and gave undertaking to implement the TS High Court Judgement from 2022 onwards and further filed compliance reports before the Supreme Court of India and Telangana High Court.
Venu Madhav further explained that despite the High Court directions, the Telangana State government utterly flouted the High Court orders during the years 2022 and 2023. “For the present year 2024 also, the State of Telangana in collusion with the Union of India (Union of India) wanted to violate the High Court orders,” Venu Madhav raised apprehensions.
The HYDRAA being part of GHMC, is meant to protect the water bodies/lakes in Hyderabad city and its surroundings as such the authority has more responsibility to protect the water bodies/lakes from pollution.
Venu Madhav appealed to HYDRAA to strictly implement the Telangana High Court orders in the interest of the general public and to protect the water bodies of Hyderabad city from pollution.
