The Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which commenced on September 7, is concluding today with Anant Chaturdashi, as processions for idol immersion begin across Mumbai and Maharashtra.

Thousands of devotees thronged the streets of Mumbai, particularly around Lalbaug, eager to catch a final glimpse of the elaborately decorated idols before they are immersed in water bodies.

At Lalbaug's Shroff building, a large crowd gathered to witness the 'pushpa vrushti' or flower showers over the idols as part of the farewell rituals for Lord Ganesh.

To ensure safety during the immersions, over 24,000 police personnel have been deployed in Mumbai, including drone surveillance and CCTV monitoring at key immersion sites like Girgaon Chowpatty and Juhu Beach.

In addition to 69 natural water bodies like Girgaon, Dadar, and Juhu beaches, 204 artificial ponds have been set up across Mumbai for the immersion of household and public Ganesh idols.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has deployed over 12,000 staff members, 761 lifeguards, and 48 speedboats to ensure safe immersions and has promoted eco-friendly practices through a QR code system guiding citizens to nearby artificial ponds.

More than 2,500 traffic police personnel have been tasked with managing vehicle movement during the processions. Certain roads will be restricted, while others will be converted to one-way routes or have diversions to ease traffic flow.

Citizens have been cautioned by the BMC about the presence of marine species such as blue button jellyfish and stingrays along the Mumbai coastline during the immersion period, advising immediate first aid for any fish stings.

Key routes like Fort, Mazgaon, Byculla, Dadar, and Chembur are packed with devotees and processions as they make their way to the Arabian Sea and other immersion sites.

192 control rooms and 66 observation towers have been set up across Mumbai to efficiently monitor the procession routes and manage the crowds at busy immersion sites.

The BMC has introduced a QR code system to promote eco-friendly celebrations, helping citizens locate nearby artificial ponds for idol immersions through Google Maps.