Navi Mumbai has expanded its network of artificial immersion ponds to 170 for this year’s Ganeshotsav, with the municipal corporation urging residents to use them to reduce pollution in natural water bodies.
The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation said the ponds have been created to provide residents with immersion facilities closer to their homes and to ease pressure on traditional immersion sites. The civic body expects the additional locations to help distribute crowds during the festival.
Under court directions cited by the corporation, idols less than six feet in height are expected to be immersed in artificial ponds. The civic administration has also appealed to residents to give preference to the ponds for larger idols wherever possible.
The corporation said traditional immersion locations in Navi Mumbai usually experience heavy crowds during Ganeshotsav. Artificial ponds are intended to offer an alternative while limiting the impact of idol immersion on natural water sources. Locations have been identified by the civic administration’s respective ward and engineering departments, and construction work is in its final phase.
The civic body has also said that Ganeshotsav mandals will not be charged a fee for setting up temporary pandals. An online single-window e-service has been made available to simplify the process of obtaining permissions for pandal construction.
The municipal corporation has asked residents to use idols made from shadu clay and other environmentally friendly materials. Mayor Sujata Patil and Municipal Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde have appealed to residents and festival organisers to prioritise artificial ponds and adopt practices intended to protect the environment during the celebrations.
The 170 facilities are expected to be available during the festival’s immersion operations, with the civic administration continuing work on the ponds before the celebrations begin.
