Ganesh Chaturthi: Mumbai's immersions in artificial lakes double this year
This Ganesh Chaturthi, Mumbai saw a huge shift—idol immersions in artificial lakes nearly doubled compared to last year.
The BMC reported about 1.84 lakh idols went into artificial ponds, up from just over 85,000 last year.
This big change comes after increased awareness campaigns, implementation of MPCB norms, and the expansion of artificial ponds across the city.
PoP still dominates, though
The BMC set up more artificial immersion tanks this year—298, compared to 204 last time—to cut down on water pollution from Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols.
Still, most idols (61%) were PoP, while 39% were eco-friendly.
Campaigns to promote green idols
Artisans got free shaadu clay and non-toxic colors from the BMC to make greener idols.
Plus, the city ran lively campaigns on social media and through posters and comics to get everyone on board with sustainable celebrations.
A big drop in natural immersions
Thanks to these efforts, immersions in natural water bodies dropped sharply—from over 1.17 lakh in previous years to just 4,385 this time—showing that Mumbai is really stepping up for cleaner festivities.