Thane: A total of 16,944 Ganpati idols and 995 Gauri idols were immersed within the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) limits during the seventh day of Visarjan, until midnight on Tuesday. Of these, 10,510 idols were made of Plaster of Paris (POP), while 7,392 were made of Shadu clay.
Rise in Artificial Pond Usage
Civic officials said that 70 percent of idols were immersed in artificial lakes, compared to 51 percent last year. In contrast, only 6 percent of idols were immersed in natural water bodies, a sharp decline from 38 percent last year.
Eco-Friendly Measures and Nirmalya Processing
Officials also confirmed that 16 tons of Nirmalya (flowers, leaves, and garlands) were collected for eco-friendly processing. They added that devotees celebrated Ganeshotsav with great enthusiasm and increasingly chose artificial ponds set up under the TMC’s eco-friendly immersion initiative.
Idol Acceptance Centres and Court Directives
This year, 262 idols were handed over at the civic body’s idol acceptance centres, located across all nine ward committees.
Officials further clarified that, as per a High Court directive, idols up to six feet in height must be immersed in artificial ponds, while taller idols are permitted in natural water bodies. All collected Nirmalya has been sent to TMC’s biocomposting units at Kolshet, Kausa, and Ritu Park, where the organic material will be converted into compost.
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Immersions in KDMC Limits
Meanwhile, in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) area, a total of 24,572 Ganpati idols were immersed during the seventh day of Visarjan. Of these, 16,069 were made of POP and 8,503 of Shadu clay. Civic officials confirmed that 86 tons of Nirmalya were collected for eco-friendly processing.
