Navi Mumbai bid an emotional farewell to Bappa on Anant Chaturdashi with a green twist this year. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) not only ensured the smooth immersion of 10,678 idols across its eight wards but also honoured over 1,966 citizens who opted for eco-friendly clay idols with special ‘Paryavaran Mitra’ certificates.
The initiative, personally backed by NMMC chief Dr Kailas Shinde, recognised households that installed shadu clay idols and immersed them in artificial ponds, thereby reducing pollution in natural water bodies. Each family received an attractive paper bag and a certificate signed by the commissioner, acknowledging their contribution to an environment-friendly Ganeshotsav.
Despite heavy rains lashing the city, devotees turned up in large numbers at 165 immersion spots, including 143 artificial ponds and 22 natural sites. The civic body deployed rafts, forklifts, and cranes at busy immersion points like Koparkhairane Lake, and also live-streamed the immersion procession at Vashi’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk, where Shinde showered flowers on idols departing for visarjan.
According to civic data, of the total 10,678 immersions, 9,929 were household idols and 749 were from public mandals. Of these, 5,095 idols were immersed at natural sites and 5,583 at artificial ponds — a clear sign that citizens are increasingly adopting eco-conscious practices. In fact, 1,966 idols made of shadu clay were immersed this year, preserving the spirit of devotion while reducing environmental harm.
Ward-wise figures show the massive scale of the exercise:
Belapur: 1,592 immersions
Nerul: 1,103
Vashi: 993
Turbhe: 1,039
Koparkhairane: 1,480
Ghansoli: 3,210
Airoli: 662
Digha: 599
These numbers include both natural and artificial ponds spread across the wards.
NMMC also organised a separate ‘nirmalya’ collection drive, gathering 14.7 tonnes of floral offerings, garlands, and decorations, which are now being processed into compost at the civic body’s Turbhe project site.
“We appealed to citizens to keep natural water bodies clean, and the overwhelming response has been encouraging. This visarjan season proved that faith and environment can go hand in hand,” said a senior civic official.
By 5:30 am on Sunday, the mammoth immersion exercise concluded smoothly without any major mishap, thanks to the combined efforts of civic officials, police, fire brigade, volunteers, and sanitation staff.
Commissioner Kailas Shinde congratulated citizens for their wholehearted cooperation.
He said, “This year, Navi Mumbaikars proved that they are true Paryavaran Mitras. The visarjan was peaceful, devotional, and most importantly, eco-friendly.”
