A police case has been registered against two Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation employees after idols immersed in artificial lakes during Ganesh festival celebrations were allegedly dumped into a creek at Retibandar in Ghodbunder village, according to a report by Loksatta. The incident was reported on Friday after a video of the disposal circulated on social media.
The video reportedly shows two people wearing Mira-Bhayandar civic body uniforms placing Ganesh idols into the creek. The report said the action prompted anger among residents, who sought an inquiry against the officials and employees involved and demanded criminal proceedings for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and violating the applicable rules.
The case was registered at Kashigaon police station against the two municipal employees. The report did not specify the sections invoked or provide details of any arrests. It also did not identify the employees by name.
The idols had earlier been immersed in artificial lakes created for the festival. The arrangements were made in accordance with directions issued by the Bombay High Court, under which several devotees in the city immersed clay and plaster-of-Paris idols measuring less than six feet in the artificial facilities, the report said.
The alleged movement of those idols into the creek raises a separate question about what happens after immersion in temporary civic facilities. Artificial lakes are intended to keep festival-related material away from natural water bodies, but that system depends on municipal agencies collecting, storing and processing the idols responsibly after immersion. The reported incident has therefore placed the post-immersion handling process under scrutiny.
The report identified the location as Retibandar in Ghodbunder village, within Mira-Bhayandar. It said the video was shared on social media on Friday and showed the two uniformed individuals disposing of the idols in the creek. The report did not state how many idols were involved, how long the practice had continued or whether the municipal corporation had issued an explanation.
The matter also highlights the administrative responsibility attached to festival-management arrangements. When residents are directed towards artificial lakes to comply with court directions and reduce pressure on natural water bodies, the credibility of that system depends on the municipal authority maintaining the chain of handling beyond the public-facing immersion event.
The immediate official action reported so far is the registration of the case at Kashigaon police station. Further details are expected from the police inquiry and from the Mira-Bhayandar municipal authorities regarding the identities of the employees, the disposal instructions issued to staff and the subsequent handling of the immersed idols.
