Bhubaneswar completed its Durga idol immersion process on Thursday using four temporary ponds created by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on sandy riverbeds, allowing idols from nearly 350 puja pandals to be immersed without directly polluting natural water bodies.
The artificial ponds were set up at three locations. Two were created on the Kuakhai riverbed near Mancheswar, while one each was established at Hanspal and Basuaghai. The civic body also arranged road access and lighting around the immersion sites to support the movement of processions and the ceremonies.
Puja committees assembled at designated points in Saheed Nagar, Nayapalli, Chandrasekharpur and Old Town before taking their idols towards the immersion locations. Around 25 committees gathered at the Saheed Nagar Durga Puja ground, while nearly 16 assembled at the Nayapalli ground. Other committees organised their processions independently.
The arrangements combined environmental controls with citywide traffic management. Vani Vihar-Raj Mahal Janpath was blocked to facilitate the movement of idols, while restrictions were imposed in and around Nayapalli and other busy stretches. Police said diversions were introduced wherever required to manage congestion as thousands of spectators gathered along the procession routes.
The processions were also conducted under restrictions on DJ systems. Traditional drums, bands, decorative lighting and tableaux were used instead. The Bomikhal Durga Puja committee attracted attention with a tableau featuring a replica of a burning train, on which artistes performed during the procession.
The scale of the operation required a substantial police deployment. Bhubaneswar DCP Saravana Vivek M said 48 platoons of police personnel were deployed for law and order management during the immersion processions. Twenty officers of ACP rank and four additional DCP-rank officers supervised the arrangements.
Police personnel were stationed at assembly points, along procession routes and near the immersion ponds to prevent overcrowding and help the ceremonies conclude peacefully. The temporary-pond system enabled the city to manage a concentrated cultural event while keeping the immersion activity away from direct use of natural water bodies, with access, lighting, traffic and public safety managed as part of the same operation.
