New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Thursday put on hold a direction by the National Green Tribunal, which limited the number of persons in 'dhol-tasha' groups to 30 during the idol immersion ceremony of Lord Ganesh in Pune. 'Dhol-tasha' groups have been an integral part of the immersion procession in Pune.
Earlier in the day, a bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra agreed to hear a plea against the direction passed by the NGT restricting the number of persons to 30 who can be part of a 'dhol-tasha' group involved during immersion ceremony of Lord Ganesh.
A bench led by CJI took up the matter after the lunch break. The CJI, with a smile, said: "Let them do their dhol-tasha…".
During the brief hearing, advocate Amit Pai, representing the petitioner, argued that the NGT's direction would seriously affect the troops who engage in dhol-tasha during the Ganpati festival. The counsel asked how the number of people could be restricted. After hearing submissions, the apex court issued notice on the petition and stayed the NGT’s direction in an order passed on August 30.
The counsel argued that the direction was passed that a 'dhol-tasha' group can have only 30 people and, in the pre-lunch session, requested the court to hear the matter urgently and stressed that 'Ganapati immersion' is coming up. The bench agreed to hear the matter after the lunch break.
The NGT, in a bid to control noise pollution, had restricted the number of people in a Dhol-Tasha group for Ganapati immersion to 30. The festival of 'Ganesh Chaturthi' began on September 7 and it is celebrated for 10-11 days.
