No PoP idols will be allowed during main Ganeshotsav in Aug-Sept: BMC officials | Mumbai News – The Times of India
Mumbai: The BMC has directed all assistant municipal commissioners to keep artificial immersion sites operational for two extra days beyond the 11th day of Maghi Ganeshotsav to accommodate “pending visarjans”. On Friday, civic authorities had declined permission to Ganpati mandals in Charkop, Kandivli, and Marve Beach to immerse plaster of paris (PoP) idols on the back of a court order. The wheels of their trolleys were locked, alleged the organisers, causing the moortis to later return to their pandals.
Tuesday Feb 11 marks the 11th day of Maghi which is considered the final immersion. Effectively, visarjan will be permitted till Feb 13.
Yet, the path forward does not appear smooth. Officials said at present, only idols up to 8 ft in height can be immersed in artificial tanks. They said “artificial ponds are being deepened to accommodate tall idols”.
The BMC has directed that artificial immersion sites be kept operational for two extra days beyond the 11th day of Maghi Ganeshotsav. BMC said its labourers would work through the night to deepen artificial ponds so that big idols could be immersed.
However, moortikars and mandals were sceptical. They told TOI that artificial ponds only accommodate idols up to 5 ft tall. Big idols spanning 15-20 ft in height can scarcely be immersed in artificial ponds, and would require to head to an open water body. In fact, on Tuesday evening, idol carvers and Ganeshotsav organisers will gather in large numbers at Hindustan Naka in Charkop for a show of strength to voice opposition to the PoP ban. Sculptors from Pen, Raigad, even Kolhapur and Satara, plan to join.
The Maghi standoff could extend well into Bhadrapad. Civic officials said during the main Ganeshotsav that will be celebrated from Aug 27-Sept 6, no PoP idols will be allowed at all. “That will be in violation of the high court order of Jan 30 that prohibits the manufacture, sale and immersion of PoP idols. This time we want to avoid a law and order situation (so we will permit immersion). Moreover, idol makers had given us an undertaking that this time they would make only clay idols,” said an official.
Deputy municipal commissioner of Zone 2, Prashant Sapkale, said, “The BMC is responsible for implementing the high court’s order for Mumbai, and no mandals should violate it. We are making all necessary arrangements for idol immersion in artificial tanks. We strongly encourage festival organisers to adopt eco-friendly celebrations.”
Tuesday Feb 11 marks the 11th day of Maghi which is considered the final immersion. Effectively, visarjan will be permitted till Feb 13.
Yet, the path forward does not appear smooth. Officials said at present, only idols up to 8 ft in height can be immersed in artificial tanks. They said “artificial ponds are being deepened to accommodate tall idols”.
The BMC has directed that artificial immersion sites be kept operational for two extra days beyond the 11th day of Maghi Ganeshotsav. BMC said its labourers would work through the night to deepen artificial ponds so that big idols could be immersed.
However, moortikars and mandals were sceptical. They told TOI that artificial ponds only accommodate idols up to 5 ft tall. Big idols spanning 15-20 ft in height can scarcely be immersed in artificial ponds, and would require to head to an open water body. In fact, on Tuesday evening, idol carvers and Ganeshotsav organisers will gather in large numbers at Hindustan Naka in Charkop for a show of strength to voice opposition to the PoP ban. Sculptors from Pen, Raigad, even Kolhapur and Satara, plan to join.
The Maghi standoff could extend well into Bhadrapad. Civic officials said during the main Ganeshotsav that will be celebrated from Aug 27-Sept 6, no PoP idols will be allowed at all. “That will be in violation of the high court order of Jan 30 that prohibits the manufacture, sale and immersion of PoP idols. This time we want to avoid a law and order situation (so we will permit immersion). Moreover, idol makers had given us an undertaking that this time they would make only clay idols,” said an official.
Deputy municipal commissioner of Zone 2, Prashant Sapkale, said, “The BMC is responsible for implementing the high court’s order for Mumbai, and no mandals should violate it. We are making all necessary arrangements for idol immersion in artificial tanks. We strongly encourage festival organisers to adopt eco-friendly celebrations.”
