Team Goemkarponn
Mopa: In a pre-festival enforcement drive, the Mopa Airport Police have seized five Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) at the Patradevi Border Check Post on July 31. The idols were found being transported illegally in violation of environmental regulations.
Acting on a specific complaint, police intercepted a vehicle bearing Maharashtra registration number MH-09-EM-9366. Upon inspection, five PoP idols were found inside. Authorities said the idols were being transported in contravention of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
The accused, identified as Shripad Narendra Patil (29), a resident of Jadhav Wadi in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, was served a legal notice to appear before the Mopa Airport Police. The vehicle and the idols have been seized, and samples were sent for further analysis.
A case has been registered under Crime No. 40/2025 at the Mopa Airport Police Station under Section 15(1) of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Police stated that further investigation is underway to identify the origin and intended delivery point of the seized idols.
The crackdown comes in the lead-up to Ganesh Chaturthi, during which the use of PoP idols is banned across Goa to safeguard water bodies from non-biodegradable pollutants.
