Supreme Court stays NGT direction, restricting number of people in 'dhol-tasha' groups in Ganesh festival

In a bid to control noise pollution, the NGT had restricted the number of people in the ‘dhol-tasha’ groups for the Ganapati festival to 30

The NGT had directed the Pune Police to ensure that the total number of ‘dhol-tasha-zanj’ members in each group did not exceed 30. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Supreme Court on Thursday (September 12, 2024) stayed a National Green Tribunal (NGT) direction restricting the number of people to 30 in ‘dhol-tasha’ groups involved in the Ganapati festival, including idol immersion rituals, in Pune.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud issued notice to State authorities on the petition filed by lawyer Amit Pai, who submitted that ‘dhol-tasha’ had a very “deep cultural significance” in Pune for over 100 years and it was started by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

In a bid to control noise pollution, the NGT had restricted the number of people in the ‘dhol-tasha’ groups for the Ganapati festival to 30.

The festival of ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ began on September 7. ‘Dhol-tasha’ groups have been an integral part of traditional festivals in some parts of Maharashtra.

Published - September 12, 2024 05:05 pm IST