CHENNAI: : The Madras High Court has asked the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to file a memo by Thursday, detailing the places it has chosen or identified in districts for the immersion of Vinayaka idols.

A Division Bench of Justice M. Karpagavinayagam and Justice M. Thanikachalam gave the direction to the Board counsel Rita Chandrasekaran on a public interest litigation petition filed by K. Ramakrishnan, general secretary, Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam.

Representations fail

Mr. Ramakrishnan said that though judicial intervention brought about some discipline in the Vinayaka Chathurthi celebrations in Chennai, water bodies in Coimbatore and nearby districts continued to face the risk of getting polluted by immersion of idols made of plaster of Paris and chemicals.

His representations to various authorities did not evoke any response. Unless the court passed appropriate orders, streams, rivers, tank and lakes would be polluted.

Citing a Division Bench order, passed in September last year, that prohibited immersion of idols made of plaster of Paris and chemicals, the petitioner prayed for an interim injunction, restraining organisations from immersing idols made of chemicals and paints in any water body in the area.

Ms. Rita Chandrasekaran submitted that the Board notified Periyakulam, Kurichikulam and Ukkadam for immersion of idols in Coimbatore.

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