Less than 40 percent of Ganesh idols turned to artificial lakes, even after 204 lakes were made available across the city. Out of 2.09 lakh idols, only 82,222 idols were immersed in man-made ponds.

Immersing idols in artificial ponds helps prevent water pollution and offers a more environmentally friendly way to dispose of the remains. Though the concept of artificial lakes was mooted in 2008, progress has been on a slow track for 17 years. In 2019, there were 32 artificial lakes across the city, but the number saw a five-fold increase after crowd restrictions during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The immersions in artificial lakes rose from less than 20 per cent to more than 50 per cent in these two years. Even after Covid, the popularity of such lakes due to a safe and clean environment increased, but the numbers have stagnated after three years.