Thane civic body increases Ganesh idol immersion facilities; mobile app to guide citizens

Thane: The civic body in Maharashtra's Thane city has expanded facilities for idol immersion for the upcoming Ganesh festival, along with a mobile application that can guide citizens to visarjan sites in their localities, an official said on Saturday.

The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), in a release, announced that Ganesh idols up to six feet in height have to be immersed in artificial ponds, while those above six feet can be immersed in natural water bodies during the 10-day festival, which begins on August 27.

The civic body said it has increased the number of artificial ponds and mobile immersion systems, and has also modified the Green Immersion App, which will guide citizens to immersion sites in their neighbourhoods.

The TMC has made immersion arrangements at 134 places, including 23 artificial lakes, 77 tank immersion systems, 15 mobile immersion centres, nine creek ghat immersion systems and 10 idol acceptance centres, the release said.

The civic body has clarified that in keeping with the High Court's directives, only Ganesh idols above 6 feet will be immersed at creek ghats.

A detailed list covers facilities across ward committees, Shil, Naupada, Kalwa, Diva, Mumbra, Majivada, Lokmanyanagar, Wagle and Vartaknagar. These include natural water bodies and artificial ponds at residential complexes, gardens, and community spaces.

Manpower would be deployed at immersion sites in two shifts, along with cranes and additional barges at ghat locations, the release said.

The Green Immersion App will provide citizens with information about immersion systems in their vicinity. It will also give them directions for mobile immersion systems.

Citizens must register on the app, and the link and QR code for the app are available at https://ecovisrjan.com, it stated.