Eco-friendly immersion is the mantra this Ganeshotsav

Devotees across the city are busy making arrangements to create artificial ponds for the final immersion day. For the last three years, Borivali-based Abhinav society has been making an artificial pond in which over 50 idols are immersed by society members and nearby residents.

Hemant Gavankar, secretary of the society, said, "People should be educated to use the artificial pond during immersion rather than polluting the water bodies. The BMC should take up the initiative to create this awareness among devotees. After the 11-day festival, we use the water in the drip irrigation system to water the trees and plants inside our society. The artifical pond contains approximately 2,000 litres of water."

In Andheri, the residents of Nahar Amrit Shakti society not only organised eco-friendly Ganpati idol-making workshop, but has also arranged an artificial pond for devotees to immerse the eco-friendly Ganpatis.

Manju Yagnik, vice chairperson of Nahar group, said, "This is the first time that we are creating an artificial pond to immerse the idols.