The Lalbaughcha Raja idol was immersed in the Arabian Sea off Girgaon Chowpatty in south Mumbai after a 22-hour-long procession on Wednesday morning. The procession capped off the immersion of Ganesh idols that had begun on Monday amid fanfare and tight security and marked the culmination of the Ganesh festival that began on August 25.
Around 7,000 sarvajanik (public) idols and over 33,000 gharguti (home) idols were immersed till 7 a.m. at various spots in the city on Wednesday. An official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said the immersion spots included beaches, natural and artificial ponds. Many idols were immersed in artificial ponds set up by the BMC to prevent pollution of natural water bodies.
Chanting Ganpati Bappa Moraya, pudhchya varshi lavkar yaa (Lord, come back quickly next year), devotees from all walks of life and age-groups flooded the streets. The lengthy processions could not dampen the spirit of the devotees who were seen singing and dancing on the streets. The prime locations for the idol immersion in Mumbai were Girgaon Chowpatty, Juhu beach, Powai lake, Dadar Chowpatty, Madh jetty and Marve. The authorities had also deployed helicopters and drones for surveillance.
Mumbai, Maharashtra, 05/09/2017: Ganpati Visarjan: Ten day long Ganapati Festival come to an end on September 05, 2017 when large number of people throng the streets of Lalbaugh in Mumbai to make the Visarjan of the idols. Photo: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury
Lifeguards were deployed at various water bodies, while control cells and first-aid centres were set up across the city. Motor boats and ambulances were also kept ready to meet any exigency. The civic body had also set up portable toilets. As many as 9,000 BMC employees oversaw the immersion proceedings. The BMC had appealed devotees to inform the civic authorities if they needed any assistance or if they were stung by jelly fish or sting ray along the beaches.
Constable dies
According to the Kalachowkie police, a 56-year-old constable with the Mumbai Police died while on duty on Tuesday afternoon. The policeman, Assistant Sub Inspector Satish Sable, was posted with the Local Arms Department and was among the additional personnel deployed at the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav pandal when he passed away.
“Mr. Sable was deployed near the Parda Hotel some distance away from the pandal. He was sitting on a chair when he started feeling dizzy and suddenly collapsed,” said Senior Police Inspector Dilip Ugale of Kalachowkie police station.
Mr. Sable’s colleagues rushed him to JJ Hospital, where he was declared dead before admission. Mr. Sable’s superiors were informed of his death and an Accidental Death Report was registered with the Kalachowkie police.
Facing health problems
Police officials said that Mr. Sable had been facing multiple health problems for several years and was transferred to Local Arms Department around two years ago. Other personnel at the spot said that he seemed normal and did not complain of any discomfort when he reported for duty on Tuesday. The police are awaiting reports of his post-mortem to know the exact cause of death.
