Rush at a market on the eve of Ganeshotsav, in Thane on Tuesday. (Express Photo by Deepak Joshi)Ahead of the 10-day Ganesh festival starting Wednesday, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made 188 control rooms at the 24 administrative wards operational in case of emergencies during the celebrations. Approximately 10,000 civic employees have also been directed to be alert during the festival. The festival will end on September 9. Immersions will take place on September 1, September 4, September 6, and September 9.
There will also be 188 first aid centres, and 83 ambulances equipped with medical supplies at crowded immersion sites, along with 786 lifeguards, BMC said in a statement on Tuesday. At natural immersion sites across the city such as the beaches, 45 motor boats and 39 german rafts have been deployed by the civic body, and steel plates have been made available for immersion of large idols.
For immersions, 211 reception rooms have been set up at the sites to receive idols, and 3,069 flood lights and 71 searchlights have been placed. At locations where observation towers are needed, such as Girgaum, Dadar, and Juhu Chowpatty, 48 observation towers have been installed.