Ganesh Visarjan 2024: Ganpati idol immersion processions begin as devotees bid farewell to their favourite deity in Mumbai

Processions for the immersion of Lord Ganesh idols began in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday morning amid tight security and fanfare as the 10day festival drew to a closeThe Ganesh Chaturthi festival which began on September 7 is concluding with Anant Chaturdashi also know as Ganesh Visarjan 2024 on TuesdayIn Mumbais Lalbaug area famous for celebrating the festival with grandeur the procession of the idol of Tejukaya mandal started amid the chants of Ganpati bappa morya pudhchya varshi lavkar ya come soon next year LordThe Ganesh Visarjan 2024 procession of the famous Lalbaugcha Raja idol which attracts maximum number of devotees celebrities and prominent personalities during the festival is also set to beginProcessions from various parts of Mumbai including Fort Mazgaon Byculla Dadar and Chembur will make their way towards the Arabian Sea and other water bodies for the final immersion marking the end of this years festivitiesDevotees thronged the streets especially on the main road leading to the Girgaon beach in large numbers as they are eager to catch a final glimpse of the elaborately adorned idols of the elephantheaded god when they are taken out of pandals for their journey to immersion sitesThere is also a large gathering of people at Lalbaugs Shroff building to witness pushpa vrushti showering of flowers on the Ganesh idolsMore than 24000 police personnel have been deployed in Mumbai to thwart any untoward incident during processions officials told PTIThousands of household and sarvajanik public Ganesh idols will be immersed at 204 artificial ponds across the city along with 69 natural water bodies like Girgaon Dadar Juhu Marve and Aksa beachesThe Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC said it has deployed more than 12000 officials and staffers and set up 71 control rooms to manage the processions It has posted 761 lifeguards and deployed 48 speed boats at the city beaches as a safety measure and the citizens have been advised to avoid entering the deep sea reported PTIIt has also cautioned citizens about the presence of marine species such as blue button jellyfish and stingrays along Mumbais coastline during this season and advised immediate first aid in case of fish stingsAccording to the Mumbai police drone surveillance will be in place at important immersion sites such as Girgaon Chowpatty Dadar Bandra Juhu Versova Powai Lake and Madh Island along with a network of more than 8000 CCTVs reported PTIBesides the local police deployment State Reserve Police Force SRPF platoons quick response teams QRT riots control police RCP delta combat home guards and Maharashtra Security Force have also been roped in the officials said reported PTIMore than 2500 traffic police personnel will ensure smooth movement of vehicles across the city during immersion processions Entry to some roads will be restricted and some routes will be made oneways while some will have diversions they saidTo coordinate efficiently 192 control rooms have been established across various administrative divisions and 66 observation towers erected to monitor key areasTo promote ecofriendly celebrations the BMC has introduced a QR code system providing information on nearby artificial ponds Citizens can scan the code or visit httpsportalmcgmgovin for directions to these ponds via Google MapsWith inputs from PTI