Following the final Ganesh idol immersions on Anant Chaturdashi on September 25, 2026, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation undertook an extensive clean-up operation along immersion routes, roads and other public spaces across the city. File.
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini
The BMC has collected around 934 metric tonnes of nirmalya during this year’s Ganeshotsav, while a post-immersion clean-up at Juhu beach on Saturday (September 26, 2026) cleared another 34 tonnes of waste.
The civic body’s Solid Waste Management Department had deployed 613 nirmalya (religious offerings) collection containers and 838 vehicles at immersion sites across Mumbai to separately collect floral and other religious offerings generated during the festival.
Following the final Ganesh idol immersions on Anant Chaturdashi on Friday (September 25, 2026), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also undertook an extensive clean-up operation along immersion routes, roads and other public spaces across the city.
Around 10,000 additional sanitation workers, along with cleaning machinery, were deployed for the operation, according to the civic body.
At Juhu beach, around 34 tonnes of waste were collected early on Saturday (September 26, 2026) as part of the ‘Sea, Shore, Shine-2026’ clean-up campaign, organised jointly by the Divyaj Foundation, BMC, Mumbai Police and MeghaShrey. School students, volunteers, representatives of NGOs and citizens participated in the drive.
The Juhu operation was among the clean-up efforts undertaken following the conclusion of Ganeshotsav, during which large crowds and immersion processions converge on Mumbai’s beaches and other immersion sites.
The BMC is also separately processing nirmalya collected after the immersions instead of disposing of all the material as waste.
At Juhu beach, the civic body and Dr Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Pratishthan are segregating flowers from the collected nirmalya. The flowers will be processed to produce incense sticks and other usable products, the civic body said. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide visited the collection and processing operation on Saturday (Septembmer 26, 2026).
Ms. Bhide said Mumbai’s sea and coastline are important natural assets and urged citizens to avoid dumping plastic and other waste on beaches and in public places, even after the festival.
The post-immersion measures are also supported by the BMC’s ‘One Ganpati, One Tree’ initiative, under which the civic body plans to plant as many trees as Ganesh idols are immersed in Mumbai this year. The initiative is aimed at linking Ganeshotsav with longer-term tree plantation and conservation efforts.
As part of the initiative, Mayor Ritu Tawde planted tulsi and sunflower saplings at the Mayor’s residence in Byculla on Saturday (September 25, 2026) using clay and water left after immersing a shadu-clay Ganesh idol. She appealed to residents, housing societies, and Ganesh mandals to similarly reuse clay from eco-friendly idols for planting and nurturing saplings.
Meanwhile, the Juhu clean-up was attended by Divyaj Foundation founder Amruta Fadnavis, actor Ajay Devgn, State Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, MLAs Amit Satam and Ram Kadam, BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and other civic officials and volunteers.
Ms. Fadnavis said maintaining cleanliness after festivals required collective participation, while Devgn urged citizens to treat keeping their city clean with the same responsibility with which they maintain their homes.
Published – September 28, 2026 07:52 am IST
