Telangana cracks whip on plaster idols

The Telangana High Court, coming down heavily on the reluctance of the State Pollution Control Board to take action, has directed the authorities not to allow the immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) in water bodies.

Dealing with a contempt of court petition filed by an advocate, a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice T Vinod Kumar asked the officials of the Board, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and the Police to ensure that the “principle of polluter pays” was implemented strictly.