Panvel: Panvel Municipal Corporation recorded a rise in the immersion of clay Ganesh idols and the collection of nirmalya (floral offerings and other worship material) during the one-and-a-half-day Ganeshotsav celebrations this year, indicating a growing preference for environmentally conscious festivities.
Rise in eco-friendly practices
According to the civic body's health and sanitation department, 3,320 clay idols were immersed this year, compared to 3,097 in 2025, an increase of 223 idols. The quantity of nirmalya collected also rose by over four metric tonnes, from around 9.5 metric tonnes last year to 13.800 metric tonnes this year.
The civic body attributed the increase in nirmalya collection to door-to-door collection by sanitation workers, along with dedicated nirmalya collection vehicles. Of the total collected, 11.3 metric tonnes were gathered through the corporation's collection vehicles, while 2.5 metric tonnes were collected by volunteers of Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari's Dasbhakt organisation.
"Sanitation workers collected nirmalya from households, while collection vehicles were also deployed. The increase in the quantity collected is largely a result of these efforts, particularly the door-to-door collection in Kharghar," said Dr Vaibhav Vidhate, deputy commissioner, health and sanitation department, Panvel Municipal Corporation.
Composting plans and idol trends
The civic body plans to process the collected nirmalya into compost. It has proposed setting up composting pits at five municipal gardens, where the material will be segregated and processed.
While the number of clay idols increased, the number of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols declined from 5,213 last year to 5,057 this year, a reduction of 156 idols. The corporation had distributed 34 tonnes of clay free of cost to idol makers to make clay idols more affordable for devotees.
The ward-wise figures showed a mixed trend. Ward D recorded nearly three times as many clay idols as last year, while Ward A saw a 70% decline.
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Artificial ponds see higher use
The use of artificial immersion ponds also increased during the festival. Of the 75 artificial and natural immersion facilities arranged by the corporation, 1,942 idols were immersed in artificial ponds this year, compared to 1,838 last year, an increase of 104 idols.
Natural water bodies recorded a marginal decline, with 6,435 idols immersed this year compared to 6,472 last year. Despite the increase in the use of artificial ponds, natural water bodies continued to account for the majority of immersions.
Overall, 8,377 idols were immersed during the one-and-a-half-day festival this year, compared to 8,310 last year.
Increase in idol donations
The civic body also reported an increase in the number of idols donated. Six idols were donated this year, compared to three last year. Nirmalya was segregated at immersion sites by municipal workers and Dasbhakt volunteers.
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