Despite repeated appeals to citizens to avoid polluting the tank, offerings such as flowers, food, and leaves continued to be dumped, causing water contamination
While the tank is managed by a private trust, the BMC stepped in after heavy accumulation of ritual offerings and garbage during Pind Daan rituals.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has removed over 10 metric tonnes of ritual waste (nirmalya) from the historic Banganga Tank in Walkeshwar during a three-day special cleaning drive conducted after the Pitru Paksha rituals.
The civic body also deployed six high-capacity pumps to aerate and clean the water, restoring oxygen levels for aquatic life, including fish.
The clean-up was carried out under the instructions of BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and Additional Commissioner Dr Ashwini Joshi, with supervision by Deputy Commissioner (Zone 1) Chanda Jadhav.
While the tank is managed by a private trust, the BMC stepped in after heavy accumulation of ritual offerings and garbage during Pind Daan rituals. Despite repeated appeals to citizens to avoid polluting the tank, offerings such as flowers, food, and leaves continued to be dumped, causing water contamination.
On Sarvapitri Amavasya (September 21) alone, over 6 tonnes of waste were collected. Another 4 tonnes were removed on the following two days. BMC officials also ensured the installation of mobile toilets, nirmalya kalash, and an artificial tank near the site to encourage responsible waste disposal.
“Citizens are requested to honour the cultural significance of Banganga and refrain from dumping waste in the tank,” the civic body said in a statement. It also urged the public to use the designated facilities set up for ritual disposal.
BMC removes dead fish from Banganga Tank
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun removing dead fish from the Banganga Tank in Walkeshwar, along with seven truckloads of floral waste and other religious offerings. To mitigate any more fish deaths, the civic body is seeking to replenish oxygen levels in the tank water and has set up dewatering pumps to clean the water.
Local residents have claimed that even though the problem persists each year, there is no clear policy from the BMC to streamline the rituals and protect aquatic life and quality of the water.
Sneha Visaria, an animal rights activist, said, “The BMC needs to come up with a clear policy to enable successful completion of these rituals in a way does not harm aquatic life. Similar to the time of Ganesh visarjan, separate artificial tanks can be created for the ritual offerings, and the water and ‘nirmalya’ can be disposed of scientifically later. Or a separate area can be demarcated, which is separate from the tank, where prayers can take place.”
Visaria also suggested that a netted fence could be built around the tank to prevent anyone from throwing anything into the water.
Another local resident, who did not wish to be named, said, “It is a good idea to regulate the items that are immersed in the tank as part of Pitru Paksha. We must, with time, consider that these ghats may not be usable for the same purposes as they were used in old times, for rituals honouring ancestors.”
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