Anant Chaturdashi: Visarjan Processions Begin in Mumbai; Massive Police Deployment, Traffic Curbs in City

As the 10-day long festival of Ganesh Chaturthi comes to an end on Thursday, Mumbai Police has put in place heavy security arrangements and issued traffic advisory for the final Ganpati visarjan day. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has issued a Yellow alert for Mumbai for Thursday.

Mumbai Police has deployed 19,000 personnel, including officers to prevent any untoward incident from taking place. Police personnel include 16,250 constables, 2,866 officers, 45 Assistant Commissioners of Police, 25 Deputy Commissioners of Police, 8 Additional Commissioners of Police and other senior officials.

Satyanarayan Chaudhary, Joint CP-Law and Order, Greater Mumbai said that proper arrangements have been made by the Mumbai Police for the last day of immersion. “The Lalbaugcha Raja immersion will begin soon so we have made the arrangements, including deployment on the entire route with proper sanitization. At all the places where immersions are happening in Mumbai, the police have made the security arrangements and installed barricades, CCTVs, public address system etc…Our entire force is on the road today in Mumbai,” he added.

Meanwhile, processions for Anant Chaturdashi have begun across the island city of Mumbai.

Similar arrangements have also been made for Eid-e-Milad, which will be celebrated with processions on Friday. Due to the appeal made by the police, various Muslim organisations and religious leaders decided to take out Eid processions on Friday instead of Thursday which is the day of Anant Chaturdashi.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) posted a video on X that showed the extensive arrangements it has made in view of Ganpati visarjan.

In addition, an official said that 35 platoons of State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), a company of Rapid Action Force, Quick Response Teams (QRTs) and Home Guards will be on duty at important locations across the city. The official also added that except for those on medical leave, for all the other officers’ leaves have been cancelled.

“Considering that a large number of Mumbaikars throng streets to bid adieu to Ganpati bappa on Anant Chaturdashi, Mumbai Police is ready with the deployment of personnel to avoid any kind of untoward incidents,” the official added.

The IMD has also issued weather advisory for several parts of Maharashtra. An orange alert has been issued for Ratnagiri, while a Yellow alert has been issued for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar for Thursday.

In view of the final day of Ganesh visarjan, Mumbai Traffic Police has also issued a traffic advisory banning the entry of all heavy vehicles on the Greater Mumbai roads. The advisory released by the traffic police said that these measures will ensure that the public doesn’t face any inconvenience. However, the order exempted vehicles carrying essential goods from the rules.

Thousands of household and public Ganesh idols will be immersed at 73 places, including at Girgaon Dadar, Juhu, Marve and Aksa beaches, on Anant Chaturdashi.

All the processions in the city will be closely monitored by CCTV cameras, an official said, adding that policemen in plain clothes will mingle in the crowd to ensure that law and order is maintained. Separate control rooms will be set up to monitor the immersion processions, the official added.

Ganpati Visarjan Arrangements At A Glance

• Mumbai Police has deployed 19,000 personnel in view of the final day of the immersion of Lord Ganesh.
• The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has posted 1,337 lifeguards, including 1,035 at 69 natural water bodies and 302 at around 200 artificial ponds and arranged 53 motorboats at natural water bodies.
•  Additionally, 35 platoons of SRPF, a company of RAF, QRTs and Home Guards will also be on duty.
• All the processions will be monitored via CCTVs, where the police has also arranged separate control rooms for the same.
• A total of 10,000 civic employees will be on duty and 250 control rooms have been set up, of which 72 will be at natural water bodies and 178 at artificial ponds.
• BMC has installed 468 steel plates at various sea-fronts so that vehicles carrying the idols don’t get stuck in sand.
• BMC has also arranged for 46 German rafts for the immersion of huge Ganpati idols in the sea.
• Apart from deploying fire-fighting vehicles and trained manpower at the immersion spots, a total of 242 inspection towers have also been set up at the water bodies.
• An official said that 96 ambulances will remain parked at the immersion points.
• Other than this, 75 first-aid centres and 61 mobile clinics will also be operational.
• Earlier, BMC said that 68 welcome posts have been established at various immersion points.
• Around 1,083 flood lights and 27 searchlights have been installed for effective illumination at the immersion points in collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST).
• Changing rooms and 150 “Nirmalya Kalash” have also been set up at various sites.
• BMC asked citizens to register the immersion time for their idols on its website in order to prevent overcrowding.
• The civic body also asked people to reach BMC via “MyBMC WhatsApp Chatbot at 8999-22-8999 to find nearby Ganesh immersion sites.
• Around 18 special train services will be operated on Mumbai’s suburban railway network on the night of Anant Chaturdashi (September 28), which is the last day of the Ganapati festival. The trains will run for passengers returning after immersion of Ganesha idols.
• A Central Railways release said that about 10 suburban special trains will be run between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kalyan, Thane, and Belapur stations on the intervening night of September 28 and September 29.

The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi or Ganeshotsav began on September 19 and will conclude on September 28. The festival is celebrated with great deal across the country, but holds a special importance in Mumbai, where huge ‘pandals’ with gigantic Ganesha statues are set up in multiple parts of the city.

(with inputs from PTI)