Mumbai: BMC retrieved and transported between Sept 16 and Sunday 2,754.9 tonnes of idols and other material immersed during the Ganesh festival.The highest single-day quantity—510.9 tonnes—was transported on Saturday in 131 trips. Among wards, K-West in Andheri, which covers Juhu and Versova beaches, recorded the highest at 314.8 tonnes, followed by S, which includes Powai lake, at 253.6 tonnes, and D, covering Girgaum beach, at 249.4 tonnes. Unlike traditional clay idols, plaster of paris (PoP) does not naturally dissolve after immersion. If left in artificial immersion ponds or allowed to enter natural water bodies, it can affect water quality, hamper the reuse of immersion ponds and eventually accumulate along beaches and other water bodies. Therefore, timely retrieval was necessary as part of post-immersion environmental management, said Kiran Dighavkar, deputy municipal commissioner, solid waste management department. He said the material collected was transported to a retrieval site in Mulund prepared specifically for the purpose. “The weight of material transported in each vehicle was recorded at weigh bridges, with ward-wise records, photographs and daily progress reports also maintained,” he said.BMC is looking at scientific recycling and reuse of the consolidated material, and has invited expressions of interest to identify suitable and environmentally compliant technologies for recycling. The civic body said the retrieval exercise was carried out while keeping religious sentiments in mind as well as legal and environmental responsibilities, and in accordance with the directions of Bombay HC and the recommendations of an expert committee by Central Pollution Control Board. BMC had issued a citywide standard operating procedure covering the retrieval, transportation, documentation and temporary storage of the material. Ward-level teams were deployed for retrieval, while clean and covered vehicles were used for transportation. Rohit Joshi, an environmental activist who had filed a PIL in HC seeking enforcement of the ban on PoP idols, alleged that he had photos that showed idols under 6ft tall were also immersed in natural water bodies, in violation of the court’s instructions. “We will be informing the court about it.”
