Every year, Maharashtra celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi in a grand manner and the city has a different aura and feel for the 10 days of the festival. Lakhs of citizens gather around the city to bid farewell to their beloved 'Bappa.' However, this year, Ganeshotsav was being celebrated in a simple manner due to the coronavirus outbreak. As directed by the government, no associations or mandals celebrated with a large idol or with public gathering. The decision was taken to avoid COVID-19 spread amidst the pandemic.
However, with an aim to support the public, the government had made necessary arrangements for visarjan. Artificial ponds and metal tanks were arranged for the immersion, and the departments are ready for Anant Chaturdashi or the last day of Ganeshotsav 2020, which is celebrated on Tuesday, September 1, 2020. The day witnesses immersion of Bappa after 10 days of festivities.
As per reports, a total of 445 immersion sites have been set up this year, which includes artificial ponds, mobile ponds and other options. Moreover, around 23,000 employees of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been deployed for the visarjan and the municipal administration has appealed to the citizens to ensure safety by wearing masks, using sanitizer, maintaining social distancing and strictly following the rules as mentioned by the health department.
Earlier in August, the Municipal Corporation has announced the artificial pond facility for immersion and asked the citizens to use this to immerse the idols. To make it better, mobile artificial ponds were planned, whereby one could call for the facility at the premises of the society. This was available for Visarjan conducted for one and a half to seven days festivities.
To ensure a safe visarjan-day, officials have set up idol collection centres in the city, and the information regarding this, and artificial ponds is available on the municipality website. The team has also requested citizens to immerse Bappa's idol at homes or mandals or postpone the same if they are located in a containment zone. Moreover, it is mandatory to perform idol worship and Aarti at home or at the mandal before handing over the idol to the management of the municipality at the collection centre, artificial lake or immersion sites.
Citizens will not be allowed to go directly to the water and immerse idols at natural immersion sites. They will have to watch the same, from a distance and are required to give their idols for immersion to the employees of the Municipal Corporation.
Following were the preparations done by the BMC for Ganpati visarjan
Immersion facilities
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