Bombay HC Clarifies July 24 Order Allowing PoP Idol Immersion In Natural Water Bodies Remains In Force

Mumbai, August 20, 2026: The Bombay High Court has confirmed that its July 24, 2025 ruling allowing the immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols taller than six feet in natural water bodies will remain in effect until the court delivers its final judgment on the matter. The clarification was issued by a bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Kamal Khata after the Attorney General sought additional guidance on the implications of the previously announced ruling.

The court's decision was prompted by the bench's earlier reservation of judgment in a series of cases challenging the production, distribution, and immersion of PoP idols. Initially, on June 9, 2025, the bench had stated that its interim order would remain in place until the final verdict. However, the June 9 order explicitly mentioned that PoP idols could not be immersed in natural water bodies without prior court permission, leading to queries about the validity of the subsequent July 24 order that permitted immersion of larger PoP idols under specific conditions.

The bench clarified on Thursday that the July 24 order will continue to be applicable until the final judgment is handed down. The June 9 order had previously lifted limitations on the manufacturing and sale of PoP idols following the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) revised stance. For several years, the CPCB had maintained that the production and sale of PoP idols were prohibited.

However, it later clarified to the court that its guidelines were merely "advisory." The High Court had permitted the manufacture and sale of PoP idols, imposing conditions on their immersion in natural water bodies. The petitions before the bench aim to implement the CPCB's 2020 guidelines, which prohibit the immersion of PoP idols in natural water bodies.

The petitioners are also contesting the Maharashtra government's August 1, 2025 immersion policy, which allowed the immersion of PoP idols taller than six feet in natural water bodies while mandating smaller idols to be immersed in artificial ponds. The state's policy ended in March 2026, yet the government has sought to extend the same arrangement.

Following the hearing of the petitioners, the state government and other intervenors, the bench reserved its judgment.