12 September,2024 01:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/PTI
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday said that more than 38,000 Ganesh idols have been immersed in Mumbai on the fifth day of the Ganeshotsav 2024.
No untoward incident was reported anywhere during the immersion, the BMC said.
The 10-day festival began with the Ganesh Chaturthi on September 7.
According to the civic body, of the 38,717 idols immersed in the sea and artificial ponds in the city from Wednesday till 6 am on Thursday, 37,569 were from households and 1,095 belonged to sarvajanik mandals' (community groups).
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As many as 53 'Hartalika' idols were also immersed on the fifth day of the festival, the BMC said.
Of the Ganesh idols immersed on the fifth day, 14909, including 14,555 household idols and 338 public idols, were put in artificial ponds, set up to avoid pollution of natural water bodies.
During the 10-day Ganeshotsav 2024, devotees usually bid farewell to idols of the elephant-headed God after one-and-a-half days, five days and seven days. The final immersion process is held on the last day (Anant Chaturdashi).
Ganeshotsav 2024 is one of the biggest festivals in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. The festivities will end with Anant Chaturdashi on September 17 this year.
In Mumbai, around 15,000 police personnel besides senior officials have been deployed for security during the 10-day festival.
As many as 32 Deputy Commissioners of Police, 45 Assistant Commissioners, 2,435 officials, 12,420 constables, home guards and personnel of the State Reserve Police Force, Rapid Action Force and Riot Control Unit will be on the streets.
More than 2,500 Ganesh mandals and lakhs of households in the financial capital of the country will be celebrating the festival.
Authorities received 3,358 applications from Ganesh mandals, and permission to put up pandals was granted to 2,635 mandals as on September 6.
Meanwhile, the BMC has asked people to be on guard against stingray and jellyfish bites during Ganesh festival idol immersions.
Hundreds of big idols are immersed in the Arabian sea.
Harmful fish that can bite Ganesh devotees during immersion have been found in large numbers in 'trial netting' conducted by the Maharashtra government's Fisheries Department, a BMC release said.
The trial netting was done off the coast at Girgaon and Dadar and fish like Dhomi, Kolambi, Shingti, Blue Jelly Fish, Ghoda Masa, Chhote Ravas etc were found along with jellyfish and stingrays, it said.
Citizens should take precaution during Ganapati immersion, the BMC said.
