This year, 48% of the Ganesh idols were immersed in manmade ponds for the "1.5-day Visarjan" in Mumbai. According to data received from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a total of 62,569 idols were immersed till midnight on Sunday, September 8. Of these 30,177 were immersed in artificial water bodies.
Of the total, 62,197 were household idols, 348 were community idols, and 24 were Hartalika idols. Around 98% of the ones submerged in manmade ponds came from houses. There was also a 20% rise in community idol immersions.
Interestingly, the overall number of idol immersions has dropped. Reports suggest that this could be due to the people preferring metal idols or immersing at home. Last year, a total of 65,684 idols were immersed after one and a half days in Mumbai. Of these, 27,290 idols, or 41.5%, were submerged in manmade ponds. This number reduced to 37% for the last day of Visarjan last year.
श्रीगणेशोत्सव २०२४ निमित्ताने, बृहन्मुंबई महानगरपालिकेने मुंबईत ठिकठिकाणी तयार केलेल्या कृत्रिम तलावात मिळून दीड दिवसाच्या सुमारे ३०,५१२ गणेश मूर्तींचे विसर्जन करण्यात आले.
— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) September 9, 2024
या कृत्रिम तलाव सुविधेचे आणि बृहन्मुंबई महानगरपालिकेच्या एकूणच व्यवस्थापनाचे सिनेसृष्टीतील कलावंतांनी… pic.twitter.com/CLhovG17qo
In contrast, only 14% of the total idols were submerged in artificial lakes organised by the Panvel Municipal Corporation. There were a total of 8,624 idol immersions in Panvel. Of these, 1,222 occurred in man-made lakes.
On the other hand, as per media reports, by 3 am, the number of idols immersed had raised to more than 66,000. From these 65,894 were household idols, 420 were community idols, and 25 were hartalika idols. 30,241 household idols and 251 community idols were submerged in BMC's man-made ponds.
During the 10-day festival, idols are immersed either after 1.5, 5, 7, or 10 days. This year, the BMC constructed 204 artificial ponds. This was a 7% increase from the 191 ponds made in 2023. These ponds are built using inflatable tubes filled with water.
The BMC also introduced a new type of pond this year. The new ponds do not require digging. Instead, they use aluminium sheets and plastic liners to make the ponds waterproof. This new technique has reduced the cost to one-third of what it used to be. The civic body set up these ponds in public parks and residential areas for the process.