Mumbai: More than 60,000 Ganesh idols, including around 29,600 Plaster of Paris ones, were immersed in the city after one-and-a-half days, officials said on Friday.
During the 10-day festival, a large number of devotees immerse idols after one-and-a-half days after the installation as well as on the fifth and seventh days.
The festival began on August 27, and a total of 60,177 idols were immersed as of early Friday morning, said a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official.
Last year, 66,339 idols were immersed on the 1.5-days, of which 30,558 were in artificial lakes.
This year, the BMC has earmarked 70 natural water bodies (including stretches of the seashore) and set up 288 artificial ponds for immersion, the official added.
As part of measures to protect the environment, the BMC urged citizens to immerse their eco-friendly Ganpati idol in drums or buckets, while Plaster of Paris idols that are less than 6 feet in height must be immersed in artificial ponds.
It has also asked sarvajanik mandals to segregate offerings so that biodegradable material can be turned into fertiliser.
For promoting an eco-friendly Ganpati festival, the BMC this year has given free land to 1,022 idol makers to erect pandals, besides distribution of 990 metric tonnes of clay (shadu mati) and 10,800 litres of eco-friendly colours, including 3,000 litres of primer.
