India, Aug. 2 -- With Ganeshotsav approaching, the Maharashtra government on Friday issued a detailed set of guidelines for the immersion of Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (POP), following a recent Bombay High Court ruling that lifted the ban on such idols but called for strict regulatory measures to mitigate environmental harm.

According to the new directive, all POP idols must carry a circular red mark, painted in oil paint on the back, to ensure easy identification. The rule will be enforced at the production and sale stage, with idol makers and vendors now required to maintain a register of POP idol sales-a condition for obtaining their annual licences.

To monitor the implementation, local self-governing bodies have been aske...