Mumbai saw immersion of 1.96 lakh idols in the 10-day Ganapati festival, with the maximum being on Thursday. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has collected 10 lakh kg of nirmalya during the period. This year, the BMC’s Dadar office has tied up with an NGO to recycle 9,400 idols made of plaster of Paris (POP) which do not dissolve in water.
The idols include those of Ganesh and Gauri (sarvajanik as well as domestic). The maximum immersions happened on the second day (1.5 day Ganpati) with 61,930 idols. This was followed by Thursday (the last day), which saw 38,361 idols being immersed. Of the total 1.96 lakh, only 33,925 were immersed in artificial ponds.
Facing criticism for years that POP idols that do not dissolve in the sea are found lying on beaches and then thrown at dumping grounds, the BMC’s G North ward office has collected 9,400 idols and handed them over to cement companies for co-processing as an alternative raw material. The ward saw immersion of 18,000 Ganesh idols at eight locations.
Besides, the BMC had set up 242 nirmalya Kalash at 112 immersion spots. It has collected 10.82 lakh kg of nirmalya from across the city. It is supposed to compost this nirmalya at 33 processing sites.
Office-bearers booked
Meanwhile, the office-bearers of Raje Shivchatrapati Ganesh Mandal in Seawoods have been booked by the Nerul police after seven people, who were carrying the Ganesh idol belonging to the Mandal, received electric shock around 12.15 a.m. on Friday. The idol, Seawoods Cha Maharaja, was being pushed down in a handcart.
“While exiting the Seawoods flyover around 12.15 a.m., the tip of the Ganapati’s chair touched the high tension wire. The electricity passed through the idol to the handcart which was being pulled by the seven,” Pankaj Dahane, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone I, said.
( With inputs from Raina Assainar )
