Mumbai: After the grand Ganesh Visarjan celebrations witnessed across Mumbai on Saturday, Divija Fadnavis, daughter of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, joined a beach cleanup drive and made an emotional appeal for the use of eco-friendly Ganesha idols on Sunday morning.
"I felt very happy that I was allowed to come to clean our beautiful beach. I saw small pieces of the hands and feet of our Bappa idols on the beach. I felt very sad, and I want to request to take an eco-friendly Ganesha because our Bappa should not be insulted like this," said Divija.
The cleanup drive was also supported by Amruta Fadnavis, wife of CM Devendra Fadnavis, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, and BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani. The initiative was organised to restore the beach post-immersion and promote awareness about the environmental effects of non-biodegradable idols.
Videos circulating on social media show Akshay Kumar personally collecting waste and remnants from the visarjan, placing them into bags along with other volunteers. Speaking at the event, Akshay opened up about the importance of public responsibility in maintaining cleanliness. According to IANS, he said:
"Wisdom teaches us that we should maintain cleanliness. This is also a major point emphasised by our Prime Minister, who says that cleanliness is not just the government’s duty, nor only BMC's responsibility, it is the responsibility of the public as well."
Amruta Fadnavis also shared her thoughts at the event:
"I feel that PM Modi is the Prime Minister who first gave people the message to maintain cleanliness and start the Swachhta Abhiyan, and this is one of the results of that. Look at the number of people who come out for cleanliness drives; this awareness is because of his guidance."
Volunteers, celebrities, and officials came together to send a powerful message on the importance of preserving marine ecosystems and adopting sustainable practices during festivals.
