Subhechcha Ganguly 
In response to the Bombay High Court’s interim order against immersing Plaster of Paris (POP) idols in natural water bodies, several Ganpati mandals in Charkop opted not to immerse their idols on February 11, despite the BMC’s provision of artificial ponds. The court ruling, issued on January 30, directed that no POP idols be immersed in natural water sources, leading some mandals to keep their idols within their private premises. While a few idols, like Charkopcha Peshwa, were immersed in BMC’s artificial pond at Bangur Nagar, the 14-foot Charkopcha Raja idol was kept un-immersed.
Prashant Desai from the Shri Ganesh Murtikar Kamgar Sanghatana explained that while the HC order was respected, the mandals chose to avoid using artificial ponds, believing it would bring bad luck or “vighna” to immerse idols in them. They performed aarti and sprinkled rice and water on the idols as a mark of respect, without immersing them. Despite this, the BMC had revived artificial ponds for immersion, even though it was not mandatory, to honor the sentiments of devotees.
Artificial ponds were created at four locations within Zone VII: a 15-feet-deep pond at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, 6-feet-deep ponds at the Dahisar Sports Foundation and Maharana Pratap Udyan in Kandivali East, and a 19-feet-deep pond at Kadamwadi Maidan in Kandivali West.
