Amid restrictions Mumbai bids a quiet adieu to Ganesha

No overcrowding or large gatherings on last day of festival

Thousands of idols of Ganesha and goddess Gauri were immersed on Sunday across Mumbai as curtains came down on the 10-day Ganapati festival held amid strict COVID-19 restrictions for the second year in a row.

No untoward incident was reported during the immersions, a civic official said.

The festival, which in normal times used to witness large gatherings and long queues on streets at the various mandals which host the celebrations, began on September 10.

This year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) set up artificial lakes at 173 locations in the city, as well as idol collection centres and mobile immersion sites at various places to avoid crowding, the BMC official said.

Besides, there were 73 immersion spots at natural water bodies and at all these places necessary arrangements had been made by the BMC, he said.

The BMC also deployed 715 lifeguards at various natural and artificial immersion sites, he said, adding that 587 steel plates were set up at the natural sites so that vehicles coming for immersions could be temporarily removed.

The civic body also arranged 338 Nirmalya kalash (containers to collect offerings like flowers and other items), 182 Nirmalya vehicles, 185 control rooms, 144 first-aid centres, and 39 ambulances.

In all, 145 reception rooms, 84 temporary toilets, 3,707 floodlights, 116 searchlights, 48 observation towers, 36 motorboats and 30 German rafts were available at natural immersion sites, besides other electrical arrangements.

The BMC had issued guidelines to public mandals to minimise donation of garlands at the idols installed at their pandals.

The civic body had, in an advisory to citizens, also said that household clay and environment-friendly Ganesh idols should be immersed in a bucket or drum at home, if possible.

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