City gears up for a silent visarjan

Mandals opt for low-key Anant Chaturthi; many choose to immerse idols in ponds

With the pandemic scare still looming large, Anant Chaturthi, for the first time in Mumbai's history, will be a low-key affair. Most mandals have decided to keep their visarjan (immersion) without any fanfare. BMC has deployed three times more employees and staff compared to previous years.

Naresh Dahibavkar, head of Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS), an umbrella body of sarvajanik (Public) Ganesh Mandals in Mumbai said, “This year most of the mandals have created artificial ponds in their premises. Those going to BMC created ponds or natural immersion sites will keep it low key with few people from the mandals going to site. There will be no loudspeaker and no noise, the only thing that will be there is loud chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya'."

Last year, on Anant Chaturthi, 30,435 domestic Ganesha idols and 7,700 public Ganesha idols were immersed. This year, BMC has deployed three to four different systems of immersions keeping in mind the pandemic. Every year nearly 6,500 workers and 1,400 officers are working on this day. This year, BMC has 19,503 workers, 3,969 officers and a total of 23,472 officers deployed at various sites. To prevent people from gathering in large numbers and to ensure social distance is maintained, the civic body has laid down strict guidelines.

"To discourage people from crowding and managing those coming for the immersion, we have set up 445 immersion points this year in all the 24 wards of Mumbai --- this includes 170 idol collection centres, 168 artificial ponds, 37 mobile collection centres and 70 natural immersion sites. Total 368 nirmalya kalash (flower, garlands etc) will be set up along with 467 dumpers and collection vans for nirmalya," said a senior BMC official.

For the first time, BMC is operating 37 mobile idol collection centres across all the 24 wards. These mobile collection centres will have a mobile water body set up on it and will provide door to door pick up of the idols.

The BMC has maintained that those living in proximity of the BMC’s artificial ponds will not be allowed to immerse their idols anywhere else. Only those living within two kilometres of a natural immersion site will be allowed to immerse idols there.

"We have appealed to the devotees to perform the final aarti near their mandals or homes. We have instructed the staff deployed to discourage devotees from hanging around the immersion site for long. They can hand over the idol to the staff, bid adieu to their beloved deity and leave the premise immediately, "the official said. Meanwhile those living within containment zones have been asked to either postpone the immersion or do so in artificial ponds created in their premises or tubs.