NMMC collecting immersion nirmalya to make incense sticks and fertilizers

Navi Mumbai's NMMC is implementing a zero-waste Ganeshotsav, collecting offerings for incense and fertilizer while promoting eco-friendly celebrations.

Kicker: Zero waste Ganeshotsav in Navi Mumbai

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NAVI MUMBAI: Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is ensuring that no offering (nirmalya) made to Ganpati during immersion goes to waste by collecting it to manufacture incense stick and fertilizer. The civic body has arranged for instant segregation of dry and wet nirmalya at the immersion spots.

Immersions take place at 22 natural and 136 artificial ponds spread across the city. NMMC has posted its personnel at these spots with logistical support to collect, segregate, and transport the heaps of nirmalya to an appointed place for disbursement to manufacturers of the proposed items.

To ensure a smooth process, two personnel have been posted at each artificial pond and five at each natural pond. Two ‘nirmalya kalash’ have been placed at each spot for dry and wet offerings to ensure that the sanctity of nirmalya is not defiled through disposal in garbage dumps.

The second step involves transporting the collected nirmalya to an NGO and a landfill site. Around 50 vehicles have been deployed exclusively to transport the segregated nirmalya from all locations. While the dry collection is being sent to an NGO that will recycle it to manufacture incense sticks, the wet nirmalya is being transported to a NMMC landfill site, where it will be converted into fertilizer for use in the city gardens and other green spaces.

Dr Ajay Gadade, deputy municipal commissioner (solid waste management), NMMC, said, “While the collection during the first 1.5 day immersion was very good, we are confident that the volume will increase manifold on the fifth, seventh and tenth day, when a large number of bigger idols will be immersed. We are expecting to collect over 50 tonne of nirmalya by the end of the festivities.”

He credited the recycling idea to Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner Kailas Shinde, on whose orders an action plan was prepared to make optimum use of the nirmalya generated in large quantities during the festival. Accordingly, awareness campaigns were launched to encourage clean and environment-friendly celebrations to ensure that instead of waste, fragrance is generated in the city.