20 September,2026 08:08 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The visit was organised by IIM Mumbai under its Public Policy Management Programme, officials said. Pic/Special Arrangement
A team from the Indian Institute of Management, Mumbai (IIM Mumbai), 13 Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officers and experts visited Girgaon's Swarajyabhoomi (Chowpatty) to study the arrangements made for Ganpati idol immersions during Ganeshotsav 2026, officials said on Sunday.
The team reviewed crowd management, civic facilities, emergency preparedness and coordination between various agencies involved in the immersion process. The officials praised the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai Police and other agencies for their planning and coordination.
According to an official statement, the visit was organised by IIM Mumbai under its Public Policy Management Programme (PGPEx-PPM), with the aim of providing practical exposure to large-scale public event management, urban governance and field-level implementation.
The study team visited Swarajyabhoomi to understand how the civic administration plans and manages the arrival of lakhs of devotees and the immersion of Ganesh idols.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Assistant Commissioner (D Ward) Santosh Salunkhe explained the arrangements at the immersion site, including the control room and various civic facilities.
Chowpatty records one of the highest numbers of Ganesh idol immersions in Mumbai. The BMC has deployed 20 towers, 12 artificial ponds, 90 toilets, 22 rafts, 1,194 German/steel plates, 22 nirmalya (floral offerings) collection bins, one primary health centre, 548 floodlights, 11 searchlights, three ambulances and around 1,000 personnel at the site.
The civic body begins preparations for the festival around three months in advance. Around 1,200 steel plates have been laid on the sand to prevent vehicles carrying idols from getting stuck.
Separate artificial ponds have also been arranged for idols up to six feet in height. Drinking water facilities, mobile toilets, a health centre, lifeguards and round-the-clock cleanliness operations are among the other arrangements.
Rashmi Lokhande, Chief Officer of the BMC's Disaster Management Department, gave the study team a detailed presentation on the city's emergency management system and Ganesh immersion arrangements.
The presentation covered the functioning of the control room, inter-agency coordination, crowd management, traffic regulation, emergency response, sanitation and health facilities, eco-friendly measures and real-time monitoring through technology.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Dnyaneshwar Wagh briefed the team about the security arrangements made by the police, detailed crowd management and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to monitor crowds and prevent accidents.
Members of the study team said managing the safety, health and civic requirements of lakhs of devotees while ensuring that the immersion takes place peacefully and in an orderly manner provides an important example of public and urban administration.
The participating officers and IIM Mumbai faculty members appreciated the BMC, Mumbai Police and other agencies for their coordination, planning and use of modern technology in managing the large-scale festival.
The study team included senior officials from the Union Finance, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Revenue, Home, Information and Broadcasting ministries, as well as representatives from the judiciary, banking, industry, non-profit organisations and consultancy firms. BMC officials were also present during the visit.
