BMC identifies natural and artificial locations for idol immersion

This picture has been used for representational purpose

As thousand of Mumbaikars gear up for the immersion of Lord Ganesha on the first day of the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has released an advisory urging citizens to carry out immersion at their homes in buckets or drums.

Calling bans on any type of public gathering for this year's Ganpati festival, the country's richest civic body also released a list of 70 natural and 170 artificial spots in the city where immersion can take place provided social distancing rules and hygiene norms are followed.

"Devotees who are celebrating Ganesh festival in their homes are advised to carry out immersion of the Ganesh idols at their homes in a bucket or a dm as their first preference," the BMC release said. As per the advisory, citizens who are residing within the 2 km radius of the 70 natural spots are suggested to had over the idols to BMC for immersion.

Here's a list of places where Ganpati idols can be handed over to BMC teams

"Citizens/devotees shall not be allowed to enter the seawater or water of natural spots to immerse the idols themselves under any circumstances," the advisory also said. For those celebrating the festival in containment zones or sealed buildings, the civic body has advised them to defer immersion for next year or make arrangements on their own by using buckets or drums.

On Sunday, Tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray visited Worli to take stock of the safety measures in places ahead of the immersion of 1.5 day-old Ganpati idols amid COVID-19 crisis in the city. On Saturday, the Yuva Sena chief along with his father and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, mother Rashmi Thackeray and brother Tejas Thackeray offered prayers to Lord Ganesha at their residence Varsha in South Mumbai.

On the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi, the BMC took to the micro-blogging site and urged Mumbaikars to have a safe and happy Ganeshotsav. "Let us follow all the guidelines of safety while welcoming Bappa into our homes and hearts this year," the BMC tweeted.

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