‘It is the heart of Pune’: SC stays NGT order of 30-people cap on ‘dhol-tasha’ groups for Ganesh festival

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the National Green Tribunal‘s (NGT) directive that limited the number of participants in ‘dhol-tasha’ groups to 30 during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
“Let them do ‘dhol-tasha’, it is the heart of Pune,” the bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud remarked while passing the interim order.
The bench, which also included Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, temporarily halted the NGT’s restriction on group performances, allowing larger traditional drum ensembles to continue as usual for the upcoming Ganpati idol immersion.
The order came in response to an urgent appeal filed against the NGT’s directive, which was issued in a bid to control noise pollution during the festival.
The appeal was brought to the court’s attention earlier in the day through an urgent mention, with the appellant highlighting the need for an early hearing due to the approaching visarjan, scheduled for September 17.
The NGT’s earlier ruling, issued by its Western bench, aimed to mitigate the environmental impact of the Ganapati immersion processions. In addition to capping the number of performers, the order imposed several measures including a ban on DJs, mandatory public display of decibel levels, warning signs about the health hazards of high noise levels, and restrictions on the size of processions.
Ganesh Chaturthi, which began on September 7, is a 10 to 11-day festival widely celebrated in Maharashtra. Traditional ‘dhol-tasha’ groups have long been an integral part of the festive atmosphere, particularly in Pune, where the drum performances are seen as a cultural emblem.