Pune: The grand Ganesh immersion procession in Pune, one of the city's most awaited events, has finally concluded after a continuous 28-hour-long celebration.
The last Ganesh idol from Maharashtra Mitra Mandal in Bhavani Peth was immersed at Alka Chowk, marking the end of the 2024 Ganeshotsav. This year’s immersion procession began at 10:30 AM on Anant Chaturdashi (September 17), and over 189 Ganesh mandals participated in the procession.
The procession, lasting 28 hours and 25 minutes, was slightly shorter than last year’s, which took 28 hours and 40 minutes to complete. The Pune Police, led by Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, played a vital role in ensuring a smooth and secure event.
Over 8,000 police officers were deployed across the city, and continuous efforts were made to encourage mandals to complete their immersions on time.
Commissioner Kumar expressed his gratitude to the Ganesh mandals and the public for maintaining peace and order throughout the celebrations. He also warned that action would be taken against those using prohibited laser lights, and decibel meters were used to ensure noise regulations were followed.
In parallel, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) played an active role in ensuring an eco-friendly Ganeshotsav. Throughout the festival, the PMC focused on raising awareness about not immersing idols in natural water bodies and provided alternative immersion points around the city. The PMC reported that around 2,81,804 idols were immersed at designated artificial tanks, and 1,76,067 idols were donated for reuse.
During the immersion, over 3,900 cleaning workers were deployed to clean the streets, with 167 tons of garbage and 3.5 tons of floral waste being collected.
The PMC collaborated with various organizations to implement environment-friendly measures, including the collection of natural offerings to be converted into compost for farmers.
This year, PMC continued its efforts to reduce environmental impact by encouraging the reuse of Shadu clay, a limited resource used in making idols.