Make sure to have a safe Chaturdashi, Mumbai

File photo/midday

Tomorrow, the city marks visarjan and Mumbai is already in full immersion mode. We will see roads clogged with devotees, looking to pay their last respects to Ganeshji. At the same time, mandals and pandal volunteers will be accompanying the idols to different water bodies. With all the activity on the Grand Trunk Road of Mumbai, safety has to be paramount.

Lifeguards and visarjan experts will be at our beaches as the beloved God is taken to the waters. We need all to heed instructions, stay out of deep waters when advised. Respect rules when in the water and selfie-seekers need to be extremely careful, Drowning, unfortunately, seems to have become part of the occupational hazards of immersion day. We need to work to change that narrative.

Every visarjan, we hear of swimmers overestimating their prowess or underestimating the currents and go out too deep for immersion. Keep discipline when moving towards immersion sites. While our cops do a brilliant job on visarjan, remember a rashly moving vehicle, or a pedestrian haring across the main road will spell huge trouble given the crowds and general confusion on that day. Fervour is one thing but that can be expressed in responsible ways, it cannot mix with foolhardiness.

This time, there are a number of artificial ponds placed at strategic locations in the city. These often see queues as smaller Ganesh idols are immersed in these. Respect those queues. Artificial ponds are a value addition facility for the festival and one must take advantage of that.

As the festival's contours shift through the years to greener and cleaner, remember one feature that always stands atop of any celebratory pyramid - safer.