The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has begun an integrated process to collect, store, scientifically process and recycle plaster of Paris Ganesh idols after immersion in Mumbai, following directions from the Bombay High Court. The civic body has issued a standard operating procedure to all divisional assistant commissioners and invited tenders for handling 2,850 tonnes of material.
Under the procedure, idols immersed in artificial ponds, temporary immersion tanks and water bodies must be removed within 24 hours. The collected idols will be transported to a designated storage and unloading facility in Mulund, where they will be handled for further processing.
The processed material may be reused to make new idols, plaster boards, ceramic products and medical plaster. It may also be used in brick manufacturing or as filler material in the cement industry, according to the report by Loksatta – Mumbai. The stated objective is to create a system covering collection, scientific recycling and productive reuse of the material.
The BMC’s action follows a Bombay High Court decision in August concerning the immersion of large POP Ganesh idols. Idols taller than six feet have been permitted to be immersed in natural water bodies, as in the previous year. However, the civic administration is required to collect these idols after immersion and ensure their environmentally responsible disposal.
The standard operating procedure assigns responsibilities to each municipal division. Every division must appoint a coordinating officer and arrange the required workforce, personal protective equipment, cranes and properly covered vehicles. The instructions are intended to ensure that the idols are removed and transported safely from immersion locations to the Mulund facility.
The process also includes documentation requirements. Each division must maintain records of the operation, including weight-scale receipts, photographs and video recordings. Assistant commissioners will monitor daily implementation under the supervision of zonal deputy municipal commissioners.
The operational framework places the responsibility for post-immersion management on the civic administration rather than treating immersion as the end of the waste stream. It also creates a chain of custody from water bodies to storage and processing, with records expected at multiple stages. The report does not specify the names of the agencies that will receive the processing contract or the exact timeline for completion of the tender process.
The BMC’s new procedure is expected to guide the handling of POP idols recovered from both temporary and natural immersion sites. Its next formal steps are the tender process, deployment of divisional teams and implementation of the collection and transport arrangements described in the SOP.
