BMC issues Covid-19 guidelines for Ganesh Chaturthi: What's allowed, What's not

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued strict Covid guidelines ahead of Ganpati festival which begins from September 10th. Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar held a meeting with Ganpati mandals' representatives, and discussed the conduct of the festival, following which guidelines were issued.Mandals should provide online darshan facilities through social media, broadcast channels and so on. For public Ganpati mandals, not more than 10 people would be allowed to bring a Ganesh idol, which should not be more than 4 feet. The permitted number of people should be fully vaccinated and must have passed 15 days from their vaccination. No procession of any kind is allowed.

Only five people would be allowed to bring the Ganesh idol and those people should possibly have received both doses and passed 15 days from vaccination. No procession would be permitted for private celebrations. The idol should not be more than 2 feet. The idol should preferably be environment friendly. Public idols should be immersed in an artificial pond. In this regard, artificial lakes have been constructed at 173 places in 24 divisions to reduce congestion at natural immersion sites. For public Ganpati mandals, not more than 10 people would be allowed at the time of visarjan. They should wear masks and maintain social distance. Those present should be fully vaccinated and must have completed 15 days from their vaccination. Procession of any kind has been strictly prohibited. Home idols should be immersed in a bucket or a drum at home, if possible. If immersion is not possible at home, then idols should be immersed at an artificial immersion site.

At the time of immersion of home idols, not more than five people would be allowed, and they should possibly have taken both vaccine doses and completed 15 days from their vaccination. Traditional aartis done at immersion places should be done at mandals and homes this year. Children and senior citizens would not be allowed at visarjan for safety reasons. The immersion by public mandals in the containment zone should be done inside the premises or it should be postponed. Arrangements have to be made at home for the immersion of idols in sealed buildings. There are a total of 73 natural immersion sites in Mumbai. A disciplined system of idol collection provided by the Municipal Corporation with additional manpower would be formed, and the idols should be handed over to them. It is forbidden for citizens or volunteers of public mandals to go directly into the water and immerse idols at these natural immersion sites.