Mumbai: To promote disciplined, safe, and environmentally friendly Ganesh idol immersions, the BMC has organised a competition for its employees and officials on Anant Chaturdashi, scheduled for Tuesday. The competition will recognise and award the best natural and artificial immersion sites, as selected by civic authorities.
The BMC has arranged for 204 artificial immersion ponds across Mumbai, alongside 69 natural immersion sites. Around 12,000 officials and employees will be stationed at 71 control rooms throughout the city to monitor the immersion process, ensuring safety and efficient management at all key locations.
The competition will evaluate various criteria including excellent management, crowd control, waste management, cleanliness of the area, decoration and lighting, CCTV arrangements, health facilities, availability of signboards, and the provision of sanitation facilities.
On Tuesday, deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners for each of the seven zones will inspect natural and artificial immersion sites. The best-managed site in each category—natural and artificial—will be selected. Additionally, one top natural and one top artificial immersion site will be chosen from each zone.
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Prashant Sapkale, deputy commissioner (Zone-2) and Ganeshotsav Coordinator, said, "BMC has implemented highly innovative and citizen-friendly arrangements for Ganeshotsav this year. Each ward and zone will treat this as a competition, aiming to improve and raise standards every year."
To help citizens locate artificial ponds, BMC has introduced a QR code system. By scanning the QR code, available on posters and online at the BMC portal, devotees can access a list of nearby artificial ponds, along with a Google Maps link for easy navigation.
The BMC has also arranged for the collection of Nirmalya, which includes flowers, garlands, and other offerings from devotees. A fleet of 274 vehicles, along with 163 specially designated Nirmalya Kalashes, will be placed at immersion sites to collect these offerings, preventing them from polluting natural water bodies.
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