Mumbai: BMC tells ferry runners to avoid sailing near Gateway of India for seven days

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has written a letter to ferry runer organisations who run ferries at the Gateway of India not to sail ferries near the Gateway for next seven days.

The idea behind the request is that ferries should not collide with debris floating in the sea after Ganesh Idol immersions.

Earlier, Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) had given conditional permission for the immersion of Ganesh Idols at Gateway of India. MbPT had directed BMC to remove debris, wooden planks, throne attached with the idols, so that ferries wherein citizens travels every day should not collide.

But BMC has decided to stop ferries at least seven days in order to ensure that big idols are dissolved in the water.

Assistant Municipal Commissioner (AMC) of A ward, Shivdas Gurav, said, "We requested organization to keep jetty closed for seven days. Idols needs to be dissolved in the see. There are tables and wooden planks attached to the Idols floats on the sea. We will start removing debris from Monday 12."

On Friday, on the occassion of Anant Chaturdashi, 44 Sarvajanik Ganesh Idols were immersed at the Gateway of India, along with 93 Small Home Ganesh Idols.

BMC had installed two small cranes and one big crane to lift the idols. Rahul Narvekar, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, also expressed his appreciation of the BMC after looking at arrangements made at the Gateway of India, said Gurav.

Apart from the Gateway of India, 48 Sarvajanik and 253 small idols were immersed at Badhwar Park. 3 sarvajanik idols and 49 small idols were immersed at Jamshedji Bundar immersion spot. There was only one artificial ponds in Kuprej Garden in A ward of the BMC, where one sarvajanik and 10 small idols were immersed.