Mumbai bids adieu to Lord Ganesha today

Mumbaikars bid adieu to Lord Ganesha on Thursday as the 10-day Ganeshotsav celebrations came to an end. Several Ganesh idols will be immersed at various locations including Girgaum Chowpatty, Shivaji Park, Juhu and Marve beach among others.

The Navy and Coast Guard will render necessary assistance at the beaches to ensure that the celebrations pass off smoothly. The Indian Coast Guard have deployed an intercepted boat fully equipped with rescue gear and one helicopter will provide aerial cover for speedy assistance in case of any untoward incident.

While, Navy in addition to relief teams positioned at Malad, Ghatkopar, Mankhurd, Worli and Naval dockyard have deployed two diving teams at Girgaum and Powai. The team is fully equipped with specialised underwater breathing apparatus, rescue gear and inflatable craft to assist devotees in the immersion activities.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had asked all the 10,349 Ganesh mandals across the city to make elaborate security arrangements to ensure safety of devotees. Following which most of the major mandals installed CCTVs and metal detectors among other modern gadgets besides training their volunteers to deal with any untoward situation.

The BMC has deployed its 40,000 officers and employees at 88 immersion places and 17 artificial ponds at different locations across the metropolis. Nearly 44 motor boasts for immersion purpose and 12 boats specifically for rescue operations at different locations in the city. Also, there will be 500 lifeguards at all locations, 23 big search lights, 31 observations towers and 40 generators.

For the medical assistance there will be 60 first aid centres and 52 ambulances. Also, 50 BMC volunteers have been posted at the beaches who will separate nirmalya (flowers) and devotees other offerings comprising coconuts, decoration material. The offerings will be segregated in different bags for flowers and fruits one bag, for plastic material and other material other bags.

Considering the sentiments of devotees nirmalya and other waste will be recycled to make manure and they will not be sent to dumping grounds. The major mandals including Lalbaugcha Raja, GSB Mandal at King Circle and Wadala, Gaondevi & JK Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandal at Girgaon and Sahyadri Krida Mandal at Tilak Nagar among others have beefed up vigil. The mandals have installed CCTVs and metal detectors among other modern gadget besides training their volunteers to deal with any untoward situation.

In the biggest and highly popular festival of the state, there are around 10,349 Ganesh mandals and nearly 1,94,265 household idols in the city.

Security tightened for Ganesh immersion

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for smooth conduct immersion of Ganesh idols across the metropolis, police said.

Security personnel are deployed at strategic locations and 37 watch towers have been set up to monitor the crowd, besides deployment of policemen at various places to manage the crowd during immersion today, Joint Police Commissioner (law and order) Himanshu Roy said.

Besides the Mumbai Police, Border Security Force and Rapid Action Force have been deployed at different locations. Close Circuit Televisions have also been put up at different locations to keep a watch on crowds and immersion procession and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads are also deployed, Roy said.

Over 4,000 big Ganesh idols and over 35,000 small household Ganesh idols are expected to be immersed at 105 immersion points on the 11th day of the festival.

All routes through which processions take place have been surveyed, Roy said. Police are regularly in touch with city civic body, fire brigade, Navy, Coast Guard and other authorities for regular updates during the immersion.