Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made extensive arrangements across Mumbai for the immersion of Ganesh idols on Anant Chaturdashi, deploying more than 25,000 civic officials and employees to ensure smooth and safe immersion operations.
As part of the preparations, 67 natural immersion sites and more than 383 artificial ponds at 278 locations have been made available across the city. The civic body has deployed 1,194 steel plates, 23 German rafts, 34 cranes, 85 ambulances and 10 motorboats at immersion sites.
For crowd and emergency management, 1,132 lifeguards, 6,052 floodlights/searchlights, 261 reception centres, 228 control rooms and 75 observation towers have been arranged. As many as 489 temporary toilets and 498 nirmalya kalash, along with 326 nirmalya dumpers, have also been provided.
Girgaon Chowpatty gets special emergency setup
Special arrangements have been made at Swarajya Bhoomi (Girgaon Chowpatty), one of the city’s major immersion sites. The BMC has set up 12 artificial ponds and 20 observation towers, while 22 rafts, 90 toilets and around 2,000 personnel will be deployed.
The site will also have one primary health centre, three ambulances, 548 floodlights and 11 searchlights, besides a coordination centre, parking arrangements and a shamiana.
For Anant Chaturdashi, an Emergency Management Control Room will function at Girgaon Chowpatty to facilitate rapid coordination between agencies in the event of an emergency. Officials from the BMC’s central disaster management control room, BEST, Mumbai Police, Mumbai Fire Brigade, Health Department and National Disaster Response Force will be present, along with HAM radio operators from the Aniruddha Academy of Disaster Management.
Mobile phones, digital mobile radio/wireless communication and HAM radio systems have been provided for communication and coordination.
4,279 potholes repaired on immersion routes
The civic body has undertaken repairs along the routes used for Ganesh idol processions. A total of 4,279 potholes on 506 roads and 171 drainage covers have been repaired. Cables causing obstructions at 281 locations have been removed, while tree pruning has been carried out at 515 locations.
As per High Court directions, immersion of Ganesh idols up to six feet in height is required to be carried out in artificial ponds, for which adequate arrangements have been made.
1.63 lakh idols immersed so far
The BMC said 1,63,386 idols had been immersed during the festival so far.
Of these, 63,312 idols were immersed during the one-and-a-half-day celebrations, comprising 293 public idols, 62,927 household idols and 92 Hartalika idols.
During the five-day celebrations, 36,992 idols were immersed, including 1,020 public idols, 35,843 household idols and 129 Hartalika idols.
The six-day Gauri-Ganpati celebrations accounted for 44,261 immersions — 305 public idols, 38,438 household idols and 5,518 Gauri idols.
During the seven-day celebrations, 18,821 idols were immersed, including 1,778 public idols, 16,606 household idols and 437 Gauri idols.
Volunteers trained in first response and CPR
The BMC has trained 725 volunteers from public Ganesh mandals in first-response emergency management. At least eight to 10 volunteers from each participating mandal were trained in first aid and CPR, including practical demonstrations.
The civic body has also urged citizens to exercise caution while entering the sea, particularly in view of the presence of blue-button jellyfish and stingrays along the coast, and to follow instructions issued by the BMC and Mumbai Police.