One of the city’s idol makers remarked, “Many devotees worship Ganpati for three years as mannat. Many have left Mumbai and settled in the MMR. So the number of Ganesh idols keeps fluctuating. However, this year, the numbers have surged,” said one of the city’s idol makers.

Naresh Dahibavkar, the president of Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti, pointed out, “In 2017-2018, many buildings in south Mumbai were in the development stage, leading to a reduction in the number of sarvjanik and household idols. It’s possible that these buildings have now been redeveloped, contributing to the rise in numbers. Moreover, after the pandemic, the celebratory spirit is at an all-time high.”

Poll

Are you noticing signs of dehydration in your pet?

Yes 33.33%

No 33.33%

Maybe 33.33%

Submit

View All In Poll

Also read: Mumbai: Dengue cases surge in city, docs say get treatment fast

An official from the BMC explained, “We count the idols at immersion spots. Although it’s not 100 per cent accurate, it provides us with an idea of the trend and enables us to make necessary arrangements at these spots. We can also increase the number of artificial ponds based on the response we receive.”

In recent years, the trend of worshipping metal idols or immersing clay idols at home or within societies has gained popularity. These idols are not included in the official immersion count. Additionally, smaller idols with sarvajanik idols are categorised under the sarvajanik category, which means that even though the count of sarvajanik Ganesh idols exceeds 10,000, the actual number of pandals is nearly half of that figure.

This year, the number of immersions in artificial lakes exceeded that of the previous year, with 37 per cent of idols immersed in man-made ponds. Immersing idols in artificial ponds helps prevent water pollution and offers a more environmentally friendly way to dispose of the remains. The BMC had planned to provide over 300 ponds this year, but due to space constraints, the number remained below 200. The increase in artificial immersions can be attributed to the COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021.

2,05,772
No. of idols immersed