Over 34,000 Ganesh idols immersed in Mumbai on Day 2 of festival: BMC

More than 34,000 Ganesh idols were immersed across Mumbai on the second day of the Ganesh festival on Thursday, civic officials said. While the festival goes on for ten days, many households bid adieu to the elephant-headed lord after one-and-a-half days. As of 9 pm, 34,122 idols including 33,962 household Ganapati idols and some community ('Sarvajanik') ones had been immersed in the city, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in a release. A senior BMC official said that 13,294 household idols and 54 community ones were immersed in artificial ponds created specially for the purpose. The idols of 28 Hartalika were also immersed in artificial ponds, the official said. The civic body has set up 188 control rooms across the city for the festival and deputed 786 lifeguards at the beaches and other immersion points. It has also set up 188 first aid centers and deployed 83 ambulances at important immersion points. The BMC has also provided 45 motor boats and 39 barges for the immersion of big idols in the sea.