The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to commission professional divers to retrieve Ganesh idols immersed in the sea at the Gateway of India. All nirmalya (flowers, incense products, oils, sticks, diyas, toran, etc) in the form of sludge from Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols that were immersed into are also to be retrieved for scientific disposal.
PoP idols do not fully dissolve after immersion in the sea but instead undergo a slow disintegration, turning into sludge. According to the Bombay High Court (HC) directive, only idols taller than 6 feet in size could be immersed in the sea, and all Ganpati idols up to six feet in height could be immersed only in artificial ponds.
During the Ganpati festival, the BMC had declared 70 natural sites across Mumbai for immersion of idols, including in Girgaum, Dadar, Bandra, Andheri, and Gorai beaches, creeks, and lakes. However, unlike the other natural immersion sites with sea access, the location at the Gateway of India does not have a beach, limiting access to the sea to retrieve idols.
A senior civic official told mid-day, “Unlike Girgaum, which has a beach, and hence it is very easy to access the sea and retrieve immersed idols, the site at the Gateway of India is challenging. Idols are immersed far into the sea. Professional divers will be brought on board to take care of the situation.” The Bombay HC directives had come in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding the immersion of PoP idols in natural water bodies and a plea filed by Ganesh idol makers challenging the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines banning the immersion of PoP idols in natural water bodies.
The directives allowed immersion of idols taller than 6 feet into the sea if no other viable option was available. The HC directives are also applicable for Navratri celebrations, the Maghi Ganesh festival, and all festivals involving idol immersions till March 2026. The civic body had this year set up more than 280 artificial ponds in Mumbai for the Ganesh Chaturthi idol immersion, increasing the number from previous years to promote eco-friendly celebrations and ease pressure on natural water bodies.
Safety of tourists
Tourist and other commercial boats ply between the Gateway of India and Alibaug as well as the Elephanta Caves. PoP idols once immersed in the sea turn to sludge but also get carried into the deep sea due to tidal patterns. Tidal waves also bring nirmalya back towards the shore along beaches, which cannot happen in the case of Gateway of India. The civic official quoted earlier said, “Several idols have elements that are metallic.
While the PoP elements turn to sludge, the metal elements get in the way of boats ferrying passengers in the sea. We are still not able to retrieve all idols from the sea at the Gateway of India, but it is essential to get rid of the dangerous elements as well.”
