He says, as quoted by news agency ANI, "Adequate force deployed in view of Ganesh idol immersion tomorrow. We're prepared and have the necessary gear required for law and order. Traffic to be monitored. The crowd will be huge, we'll ensure the safety of children, women and the elderly,"
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is also gearing up for the immersion of Ganesh idols in Mumbai. BMC has made artificial ponds and had asked people to immerse Ganesha idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) in artificial lakes or ponds to help reduce pollution.
BMC Assistant Municipal Commissioner Ramakant Biradar says, "162 artificial ponds and 73 natural immersion sites are there. Lifeguards deployed. All necessary arrangements have been made."
The Civic body has prepared 162 artificial ponds and 73 natural immersion sites for Ganesh idol immersion.
This year, devotees from around the country have converged at Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja after a forced gap of 2 years induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day festival starting on the fourth day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Bhadrapada to celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesh. Devotees believe during this time Lord Ganesha along with his mother Goddess Parvati visits the earth and showers his blessings on the people. In Maharashtra and other parts of western and southern India, lakhs of devotees converge on pandals to seek blessing from Lord Ganesh and people worship Lord Ganesh in their homes, temples and pandals
This year Ganesh Chaturthi or Ganpati Utsav as it is more popularly known is being celebrated between August 31 to September 9. On the last day of the festival, people immerse the idol of Lord Ganesh concluding the festival.
With inputs from ANI
