Overview

• High Court and state directives require idols up to six feet to be immersed in artificial ponds, with taller idols limited to designated natural locations.
• BMC has set up 288 artificial ponds and ordered pond remains retained for 15 days before Plaster of Paris waste is moved to a Bhiwandi facility for processing.
• By 3 pm Thursday, officials recorded 583 one-and-a-half-day immersions in Mumbai, including 326 in artificial ponds, with no untoward incidents reported.
• Safety advisories flag stingrays and blue button jellyfish along the coast, with lifeguards supervising immersions, 108 ambulances deployed, and first-aid counters prepared for stings.
• Navi Mumbai arranged 143 artificial ponds and 22 natural sites for early immersions, while local activists urged stronger monitoring and transparent reporting of pond usage.