Despite ban, PoP idols resurface in Bengaluru ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi: Report
Bengaluru: With nearly two months left for Ganesh Chaturthi, banned Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols have made a return to the streets of Bengaluru, raising concerns over environmental compliance and enforcement lapses.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, over 100 idols — many ranging from three to five feet in height — were seen on display at the Venkateshwara Temple premises on Seshadripuram Main Road. Another stall near Kamat Hotel on RV Road had fewer idols, but business was reportedly brisk.
Despite a statewide ban on PoP idols imposed by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) in July 2016, vendors continue to promote them as a preferred option. The Karnataka High Court upheld the ban in January 2017, citing the need to protect waterbodies.
At Seshadripuram, a vendor insisted PoP remained ideal for large idols. "Clay is fine for small ones. PoP idols are cheaper, lighter and do not break easily," DH quoted him as saying.
Both sellers and buyers reportedly appeared uneasy when questioned about the ban. One vendor justified his products by pointing to the use of non-toxic colours and claimed their idols were of better quality than cheaper alternatives found elsewhere, such as on RV Road.
PoP does not dissolve easily in water and can affect water’s alkalinity, turbidity, hardness, suspended solids and oxygen demand. These changes can severely degrade water quality during idol immersion rituals.
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Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in corruption cases
Dhaka (PTI): A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project.
Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Hasina to a total of 10 years’ imprisonment — five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported.
The court sentenced 78-year-old Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol.
The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 pm.
Tulip Siddiq was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment — two years in each case — while Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq were each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in both cases.
Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused to surrender before the court, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment in each case, totalling two years.
The court also fined all convicted persons Tk1 lakh each and ordered them to serve an additional six months in prison in default of payment.
Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests. She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court.
The cases were filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged abuse of power in the allocation of two 10-katha plots.
According to the prosecution, the accused manipulated the allocation process and violated existing rules and regulations of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
