Thane: 11,600 household and sarvajanik Ganpati idols immersed

THANE: Nearly 11,600 household and sarvajanik Ganpati idols were immersed in Thane on first day of immersion with a notable volume being immersed at artificial ponds, officials informed.
Around 20 spots, including artificial ponds, were constructed within the city which saw thousands of devotees milling around to bid adieu to their favourite deity. Around 400 opted for the online immersion facility provided by the corporation.
The maximum number of idols at 1,867 was immersed at the Upvan lake followed by Datta Mandir ghat in central Thane where 1,368 idols were immersed, officials said. The Thane corporation claimed a majority of idols were immersed at artificial ponds, but an accurate number wasn’t available.
Meanwhile, the special idol deposit facility was continued this year also which received 316 Bappa murtis. The facility involves devotees who don’t wish to wait in the queues for immersions are required to deposit their respective idols at the centre. The idols are later immersed collectively by the Thane corporation teams in the creek, said officials.
Anti-noise activist Dr Mahesh Bedekar said the revelry after the two year Covid-induced lull added to the din on city roads with decibel levels touching 90dB which was higher than the usual permissible levels of 65-70dB on roads with traffic, he said.
“Many areas including Ram Maruti road saw revelry starting post 10pm which continued well past midnight probably due to the general perception created that no restrictions would be applicable this year. I may request some action on this front. However, it was heartening to see that less of dhol tasha and loudspeakers on roads compared to the pre-Covid years,” said Dr Bedekar.