Overview

• BMC reported 29,965 idols immersed by 9 p.m. on Thursday with no untoward incidents, most from household visarjans on the 1.5‑day milestone.
• Under court directives, idols up to six feet are routed to artificial ponds while taller idols go to designated natural sites, with 288 ponds set up across Mumbai.
• Civic teams will retain sludge and PoP remnants in tanks for up to 15 days before transporting materials to a Bhiwandi facility for storage and recycling.
• Safety steps include lifeguards, 108 ambulances, and warnings about stingrays and blue button jellyfish at beaches, as Hyderabad prepares about 30,000 police for immersion day security.
• Beyond Mumbai, Bengaluru recorded 2.19 lakh immersions on the festival day, and Navi Mumbai arranged 143 artificial ponds and 22 natural sites as activists sought clearer data on actual pond usage.