Mumbai, Sept 14: Mumbai High Court has admitted a PIL which prayed for a direction to Centre and Maharashtra government to ban immersion of idols of gods and goddesses in natural streams during religious festivals and also prohibit cremation and immersion of full or half-burnt bodies on river banks across the country, particularly in Ganges at Varanasi. The Public Interest Litigation filed by Janhit Manch and its president, Bhagwanji Raiyani, was admitted on September 10 by Chief Justice C K Thakker and Justice Abhay Oak who has directed expeditious hearing of the matter.


Citing the instance of the polluted Juhu Beach in Mumbai, the PIL prayed for a ban on immersion of idols of gods and goddesses in natural streams as defined under Section 2 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The PIL urged that the respondents be directed to provide alternate inspection and nuisance detection machinery on Juhu Beach and other natural streams against people throwing puja materials and polythene bags and punish them as per rules. It also prayed for provision of alternate toilets on the beaches to prevent pollution.

The PIL also prayed for banning mass or community bathing during auspicious religious occasions such as kumbh melas, chhath parvas, ekadashis, shravan Mondays in natural water springs under the scriptural edicts and under the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and also under Article 48-a of the Constitution. Bureau Report