Mumbaiites pick ponds for Bappa’s farewell

The BMC has created 32 artificial ponds across the city for Ganpati immersion. “We have been getting better response at artificial ponds as a lot of people do not want to travel to far off places for immersion, especially when they have artificial ponds nearby,” said a senior civic official.

The first visarjan day of this year’s Ganeshotsav saw 38,570 idols immersed in natural water bodies and artificial ponds across the city till 9pm on Tuesday. Of these, 60 were sarvajanik idols, while 38,510 were Bappas from households.

Devotees immerse the idol of Ganesha on the second day of the Ganpati festival on the bank of Mutha river in Pune. (Milind Saurkar/HT File Photo)

The civic body has been promoting immersion at artificial ponds for the past few years, and as many as 9,649 Ganpati idols were taken for visarjan to these ponds on Tuesday. While there were 16 sarvajanik mandals who immersed their idols at artificial ponds, 9,633 household idols were taken for visarjan to the ponds.

The BMC has created 32 artificial ponds across the city for Ganpati immersion. “We have been getting better response at artificial ponds as a lot of people do not want to travel to far off places for immersion, especially when they have artificial ponds nearby,” said a senior civic official.

Anandini Thakoor, trustee of H-west federation, said at an artificial pond at Santacruz (West), where the residents were helping BMC manage the immersions, they had received 294 idols till 9pm. “There seems to be an increase in awareness among people who now opt to come to artificial ponds instead of going all the way to Juhu. Some of them even mentioned that they now wish to switch to eco-friendly idols,” said Thakoor.