India, July 17 -- The Bombay high court on Thursday questioned Ganesh idol manufacturers for continuing to use plaster of Paris (PoP), observing that immersion of such idols could cause "immeasurable" environmental damage and asking why they had not switched to less-polluting alternatives.

A division bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal Khata was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Thane resident Rohit Joshi, seeking implementation of the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) guidelines prohibiting the manufacture and immersion of PoP idols. The petition raises concerns over pollution of rivers, lakes and other natural water bodies during idol immersion.

In July 2025, the high court directed that all Ganesh idols up...