K west ward to run vehicles to collect idols for immersion

In a bid to discourage people from coming outdoors for immersion of Lord Ganesha idols , BMC's K West ward, which covers Andheri(w), Juhu, Versova and other such areas will be running a vehicle to collect the idols and carry out the immersion on behalf of citizens. The vehicle will visit housing societies in its jurisdiction during the four immersion days during Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Vishwas Mote, the assistant municipal commissioner of KWest ward made the appeal to the citizens through a letter/circular dated August 10 and asked them to per form symbolic immersion inside their households and hand over the idols to the civic body. Besides public (Sarvajanik) installation of Lord Ganesha idols, thousands of people in the metropolis install such idols at home and immerse it on four to five different days during the 10day festival. Ganesh Chaturthi is the most popular religious event in Maharashtra. This year, the festival starts on August 22. “To avoid overcrowding and for maintenance of social distancing, there is a plan of accepting Ganpati idols at the society gates for immersion. We will send vehicles from society to society in our ward, residents can per form symbolic immersion and other rituals at their household and give the idol to us for immersion. In areas where vehicles are unable to reach, those societies/households can hand over their idols to the nearest Sarvajanik Ganpati Mandal. In this way there will be no crowding, people will not be risking their lives and celebrate the festival too," said Mote.