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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Bombay HC orders immersion of all idols up to 6 ft in artificial tanks
The Bombay High Court on Thursday ordered immersion of all idols of up to six feet height in artificial tanks starting from the 10-day Ganesh festival being celebrated from August 27 this year. The order will be effective till March next year for the festivals that require immersion of idols of deities, including those made of Plaster of Paris (PoP). "The court has to make an endeavour that the impact of immersion of idols is bare minimum on the environment. Therefore, idols up to 6 feet should compulsorily be immersed in artificial water tanks," a bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne said. The high court further asked the state government to ensure implementation of its policy regarding immersion of idols in "letter and spirit". All the local bodies must ensure that the idols, up to six feet in height, are immersed in artificial water bodies, the bench said. The high court also asked the government to form an expert committee for suggesting measures to recycle the PoP material used in making idols. The committee should also examine the scientific measures so that the idols can be dissolved in an eco-friendly manner. The bench gave the ruling while hearing a bunch of petitions seeking implementation of the revised guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in regards to PoP idols.
NDTV
an hour ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Immerse Ganesha Idols Upto 6 Feet High In Artificial Tanks: Bombay High Court
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday ordered the immersion of all idols of up to six feet in height in artificial tanks starting from the 10-day Ganesh festival being celebrated from August 27 this year. The order will be effective till March next year for the festivals that require immersion of idols of deities, including those made of Plaster of Paris (PoP). "The court has to make an endeavour that the impact of immersion of idols is bare minimum on the environment. Therefore, idols up to 6 feet should compulsorily be immersed in artificial water tanks," a bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne said. The high court further asked the state government to ensure implementation of its policy regarding immersion of idols in "letter and spirit". All the local bodies must ensure that the idols, up to six feet in height, are immersed in artificial water bodies, the bench said. The high court also asked the government to form an expert committee to suggest measures to recycle the PoP material used in making idols. The committee should also examine the scientific measures so that the idols can be dissolved in an eco-friendly manner. The bench gave the ruling while hearing a bunch of petitions seeking implementation of the revised guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in regards to PoP idols.
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Business Standard
3 hours ago
- General
- Business Standard
Delhi-NCR records cleanest July in a decade, AQI remains 'satisfactory'
Delhi-NCR registered its cleanest July in ten years on Wednesday, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) dipping to 67, a reading that falls in the 'satisfactory' category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This improvement is part of a larger trend seen so far in 2025, with the capital recording 118 days of 'good', 'satisfactory', or 'moderate' air quality. This marks a shift from previous years, when 'poor' to 'severe' air quality was more frequent during the same period. According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'. Among the monitoring stations, Punjabi Bagh recorded the lowest AQI at 50, followed closely by Bawana at 51 and Vivek Vihar at 55. All three readings fall in the 'good' category. Delhi govt credits coordination, sustained civic efforts Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the improvement in Delhi's air quality was the outcome of sustained civic action and coordinated inter-departmental efforts, NDTV reported. 'This is not a seasonal blip, it is the result of Delhi's multi-agency implementation model, continuous landfill action, intensified sweeping operations, and a clear commitment to outcome-based governance,' Sirsa said. In the last 24 hours, Delhi reportedly removed 10,987.21 metric tonnes (MT) of garbage and lifted 2,349.7 MT of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Over 6,000 km of roads were cleaned, and water sprinkling was carried out across 26.35 km. Legacy waste removal also continues at landfill sites. On July 22, a total of 923.55 MT of legacy waste was cleared — including 487.55 MT from the Bhalaswa site and 436 MT from Ghazipur.
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
State makes it mandatory to immerse Ganpati idols under 5 feet in artificial tanks
MUMBAI: In a move aimed at reducing water pollution during Ganeshotsav, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday informed the Bombay High Court that it will now be mandatory to immerse all Ganesh idols measuring up to 5 feet in height in artificial ponds provided by local municipal bodies across the state. Dr Saraf responded that while tanks up to 5 feet deep are currently feasible, creating much larger ones is not practical at this stage. He added that the state was in the process of forming an expert committee to study alternatives, including solutions for soluble idols The announcement was made by advocate general Dr Birendra Saraf while responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by activist Rohit Manohar, who raised concerns about the environmental impact of immersing Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols in natural water bodies. 'Until now, using artificial tanks for immersion was optional. But in keeping with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines, immersion of idols up to 5 feet in height must now be done only in artificial ponds provided by local authorities,' Dr Saraf told a division bench of chief justice Alok Aradhe and justice Sandeep Marne. He clarified that there is no such mandatory rule for idols taller than 5 feet, but added that civic bodies will collect such idols a day after immersion and clean the natural water bodies where they are placed. Saraf also pointed out emerging eco-friendly trends. 'Many people now immerse idols at home, including edible Ganpatis made of chocolate that dissolve in milk, which is then distributed as prasad,' he said. He added that in Pune, some Ganpati mandals follow the CPCB's suggestion of not immersing large idols at all, and instead use smaller replicas made of shadu mati (natural clay) for immersion. The PIL had earlier prompted the High Court to allow the manufacture of PoP idols, but with a strict caveat: they could not be immersed in lakes, rivers or other natural water bodies without explicit permission. When asked by the court about the number of idols typically immersed in Mumbai, Saraf cited government data showing nearly 195,000 idols under 5 feet and just over 7,000 idols above that height are immersed during the festival. This includes 3,865 idols between 5 to 10 feet and 3,998 idols above 10 feet. Concerned about the pollution caused by these taller idols, the court asked whether it was technically feasible to build artificial ponds deep enough to accommodate them. 'Can you make 25-foot-deep tanks for 10-foot idols?' the bench asked. Dr Saraf responded that while tanks up to 5 feet deep are currently feasible, creating much larger ones is not practical at this stage. He added that the state was in the process of forming an expert committee to study alternatives, including solutions for soluble idols. 'You'll have to come up with an environmentally safe solution for idols made of dissolvable materials,' the court said, directing the state to present its plan in future hearings.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
NCAP 2.0 must focus on industrial reform to ensure cities have clean air
Written by Anirban Banerjee Nearly 37 per cent of India's most polluted cities are flanked by large industries such as thermal power plants (TPPs), smelters, and manufacturing units. Industries are the main polluters in 20 per cent of these cities, and over 80 per cent host small-scale industries within city limits. Many are located in peri-urban areas, outside the jurisdiction of urban local bodies, making regulation difficult. Yet, only 0.6 per cent of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and Fifteenth Finance Commission funds are allocated to control industrial emissions. Although the issue is widely known, only a few states, such as Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, are actively pursuing airshed-level management. Informal industries such as brick kilns, rice mills, stone crushers, and mineral grinding units are significant pollution sources. India hosts over 1,40,000 brick kilns, most of which use outdated technologies and burn coal or agricultural waste inefficiently. This results in high emissions of particulate matter of 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5), black carbon, and sulphur dioxide (SO₂). Brick kilns using zigzag technology paired with fabric filters can significantly reduce PM emissions. The government must enforce retrofitting mandates, support capacity building, and provide subsidies for cleaner upgrades. Similarly, rice mills burn husk and other residues, often in inefficient furnaces with little to no emission control, resulting in PM generation from milling and husk burning. Rice mills should be encouraged to install multi-cyclone separators or wet scrubbers and transition to cleaner fuels, including rice husk gasifiers or biomass pellets. Fugitive emissions from stone crushers and mineral grinding industries remain a major challenge for NCAP cities. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued dust mitigation guidelines (updated July 2023), mandating dust suppression systems like dry mist guns for these industries. However, a 2022 Centre for Science and Environment report noted widespread non-compliance. Enforcing these measures through quarterly audits, worker training, and fines for non-functional systems can effectively curb fugitive emissions. Large industries such as cement plants, smelters, TPPs, and integrated steel plants are major contributors to emissions. Process optimisation using alternative fuels, electric smelting furnaces, and waste heat recovery can reduce emissions by 30–40 per cent. Air pollution control devices like electrostatic precipitators (ESPs), fabric filters, and wet scrubbers are critical, capturing up to 90 per cent of PM from these sources. TPPs emit PM (fly ash), SO₂, and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), and their mitigation involves ESPs/bag houses, flue gas desulphurisers, and selective catalytic reduction. Integrating renewable energy, such as solar or wind power, into operations further reduces fossil fuel reliance and emissions. A notable innovation is the use of community boilers, where multiple units share a high-capacity boiler with modern pollution control systems such as ESPs and bag filters. The CPCB guidelines on common boilers (March 2024) must be made part of state industrial policies and implemented through industrial estate planning. Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) rely heavily on polluting fuels like coal and heavy oil, emitting high levels of PM and SO₂. These pollutants harm human health and contribute to urban smog. Transitioning to natural gas, electricity, or solar thermal systems can reduce both PM and SO₂ emissions. A crucial starting point for larger industries is to improve transparency and accountability through comprehensive reporting. Currently, the top 1,000 listed companies in India (based on market value) are required to report their GHG emissions (as per the business responsibility and sustainability reporting format), but there is no regulatory mandate for reporting air pollutant emissions. It is imperative for these industries to report their annual fuel consumption by type and provide detailed information about the air pollution control devices and processes they have in place. This reporting can be made mandatory for consent-to-operate clearances. Such transparency will not only help monitor emissions but also encourage industries to adopt best practices and newer technologies. Government stakeholders, including the Industrial Development Boards; the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; the Ministry of Heavy Industries; and state pollution control boards, must collaborate to facilitate a smooth transition for industries. This may include ensuring clean fuel infrastructure and easier financing for industrial upgrades. Financial incentives, such as tax breaks, grants, or low-interest loans, could play a critical role in encouraging industries to invest in cleaner technologies. These could be incorporated into the financial outlay of NCAP 2.0. However, the question remains: Who will take the initiative to implement these changes? Although it is widely agreed that industries must bear the costs of technological upgrades to reduce emissions, local governments and pollution control boards cannot merely shift the burden to industries without providing support. There needs to be a collaborative approach where cities, industries, and regulatory bodies work together to achieve the common goal of cleaner air. Cleaner industrial air benefits not only health but also the economy. Reduced hospital visits, improved labour productivity, and job creation in clean technology sectors justify the investment. With NCAP 2.0 on the horizon, it's time to move beyond tokenism. Only an integrated, well-funded strategy covering large industries, MSMEs, and informal industries can deliver breathable air to Indian cities. The writer is a senior associate in the Air Quality Policy and Outreach team at the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), a research-based think tank
