Officials say if families turn up for visarjan at natural sites, their statues, if small, are sunk in temporary tanks; as of 3 pm on Thursday, 575 Ganesh idols were immersed in Mumbai, of which 321 were immersed in artificial lakes, according to information from the BMC.
An artificial pond is constructed at the behest of the BMC at a ground in Borivli West for the immersion of small Ganpati idols on August 26. PIC/NIMESH DAVE
Only 55.82 per cent of Ganesh idol immersions that took place on Thursday, as part of the one-and-a-half-day immersions, were carried out in artificial ponds created by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) across the city. As of 3 pm on Thursday, 575 Ganesh idols were immersed in Mumbai, of which 321 were immersed in artificial lakes, according to information from the BMC. Only three of these idols were sarvajanik (community) idols, of which two were immersed in artificial lakes.
In compliance with the Bombay High Court’s directives, the civic body has set up 288 artificial ponds for immersion of Ganesh Idols this festival season, approximately 88 more than last year. The high court had issued directives that plaster of Paris (PoP) idols up to six feet in height should be immersed only in artificial ponds for Ganeshotsav and Navratri.
The Maharashtra government’s directives drafted for local bodies on August 1, 2025, have mandated more artificial ponds this time. Moreover, all idols under six feet in height should be immersed in artificial lakes, according to the state's directives. A senior civic official told mid-day, “All the idols that were not immersed in artificial lakes are over six feet in height. They have been immersed in the sea.” However, many citizens were unaware of the high court directives and turned up at Chowpatty, Dadar and other beaches in the city for immersion.
A senior civic official told this newspaper, “We have created special artificial lakes near natural immersion sites as well. Some families are unaware of the rule, and if they turn up for immersion at natural sites, we collect the idols and immerse them in artificial ponds if they are smaller in size.” This year, more than two lakh households are expected to be celebrating the Ganesh festival, as the state government has declared Ganeshotsav the state festival of Maharashtra. There are 12,000 sarvajanik Ganesh mandals, of which 3000 are big Ganesh mandals.
BMC’s figures
As per an update received by the BMC at 9 pm, figures distinguishing immersions in artificial ponds from those in natural water bodies were unavailable. As per information received from the civic body, 29,965 immersions took place on Thursday. Of these, 337 were sarvjanik (community), 29,614 gharguti (household), and 14 hartalika (other religious idols).
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