While the city celebrated its mega festival, the Ganeshotsav, with great fervour, devotees made a serious attempt to ensure that they had eco-friendly immersions. In an encouraging trend, the number of eco-conscious citizens seems to have swelled since last year.
Mumbai bettered its tally of immersions at artificial ponds while it is yet to give the Lord the final adieu on Monday.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the number of idols immersed across 27 artificial ponds until the seventh day of the festival has gone up from 17,753 recorded last year to 19,928 this season, which is a rise of 12.25 per cent compared to 2013.
The number of idols immersed so far at artificial water bodies is also greater than the overall tally registered previous year. In 2013, there were a total of 19,879 immersions at temporary ponds.
A total of 2,07,752 idols were immersed during the last festival across water bodies of all types. This year, the BMC expects the overall immersion number to swell to 2,10,000 idols. "We are very happy to see the inclination of devotees. So far, on an average, we have registered a rise of nearly 4000 idols being immersed per year at the ponds. Given that the final day proceedings are yet to take place, we are anticipating the figures will swell further," a senior civic official said, requesting anonymity.
The BMC had first created artificial ponds, of 10 feet deep and 15 feet wide in dimensions, in 2007. In that year, the corporation had provided seven ponds.
In the previous year, 400 sarvajanik mandals had joined the eco-friendly cause by immersing idols at artificial lakes. This year, 305 mandals have responded to the call until now. The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik
Ganeshotsav Samnvay Samiti (BSGSS) has appealed mandals and household devotees to carry out processions at artificial lakes. "We request people to immerse idols at artificial ponds. This will lessen the burden natural water bodies and the seafront," said Naresh Dahibawkar, president of the BSGSS – an umbrella body of nearly 12,000 city mandals attached to it.
Taking to artificial ponds
2014 (seventh day): Total immersions 19928 (Sarvajanik 305, domestic/household 19,623)
2013 (seventh day): Total immersions 17,753 (sarvajanik 316, domestic/household 17,437)
2013 (final day): Total immersions 19879 (sarvajanik 400, domestic/household 19,479)
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