The seven-day Ganesh Chaturthi immersions in Navi Mumbai concluded on a peaceful note with the farewell of 17,236 Ganpati idols and 1,959 Gauri idols, carried out under the detailed arrangements of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC).
Just like the earlier 1.5-day and 5th-day immersions, the 7th-day visarjan was conducted in a devotional atmosphere at 22 natural water bodies and 143 artificial ponds spread across the city.
Responding positively to Municipal Commissioner Kailas Shinde’s appeal for an eco-friendly and plastic-free Ganeshotsav, citizens immersed 3,609 clay (shadu) idols. Families who chose clay idols over Plaster of Paris (PoP) were honoured with special appreciation certificates signed by the Commissioner.
As per High Court directives, idols below six feet in height were immersed only in artificial ponds. This not only reduced the burden on natural water bodies but also made the process convenient for citizens, with 11,235 idols immersed in artificial ponds alone.
Ward-wise Immersion Figures
- Belapur: 1,515 household idols (artificial), 46 household + 24 public idols (natural)
- Nerul: 1,420 household idols, 39 public idols
- Vashi: 292 household idols, 14 public idols
- Turbhe: 902 household idols, 1 public idol
- Koparkhairane: 2,339 household idols, 24 public idols
- Ghansoli: 2,856 household idols, 47 public idols
- Airoli: 1,203 household idols, 12 public idols
- Digha: 680 household idols, 15 public idols
Clean and Safe Immersions
NMMC ensured smooth crowd management with lifeguards, fire brigade staff, police deployment, medical teams, and standby generators. At larger natural immersion sites, rafts were arranged for big idols.
Keeping up with its reputation as a “Clean City”, the civic body collected over 24 tonnes of nirmalya (floral offerings) separately for eco-friendly disposal at its Turbhe facility.