Story perspectives

Mumbai immerses 36,128 Ganesh idols, BMC reports

By Drooid · Sep 27, 2026, 4:07 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Mumbai Immerses 199k Idols

Mumbai authorities immersed 199,185 Ganesh idols in 2026, according to BMC data.
More than 24,000 police officers and about 25,000 BMC staff managed crowds and traffic.
By 9 PM on September 25, BMC recorded 16,154 idols immersed, including 14,864 household and 772 sarvajanik.
By Saturday afternoon, BMC counted 36,128 idols immersed, with 28,638 household, 6,936 sarvajanik, and 554 Hartalika.
Lalbaugcha Raja’s procession traveled from Lalbaug to Girgaon Chowpatty for immersion, drawing thousands.

Summary

Pune Deploys Forces

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar performed aarti at Pune’s Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple.
Girgaon Chowpatty hosted an Emergency Management Control Room coordinating police, fire, health, BEST, NDRF, and coastal security.
Pune deployed over 10,000 police, Home Guards and 3,500 AI-enabled CCTV cameras with facial-recognition.
120 lifeguards and 37 fire-brigade personnel were stationed at 15 immersion ghats across Pune.

History

Historical Context

On 26 July 2005 Mumbai recorded a record 944 mm of rain, killing 1,094 people and exposing gaps in disaster response. In response, the state strengthened disaster-management structures in 2006, integrating the BMC, Maharashtra Police and the National Disaster Management Authority. The framework now guides the 2026 Ganesh immersion, deploying thousands of officers and AI-enabled cameras to safeguard crowds.

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Mumbai Immerses 199k Idols

Mumbai authorities immersed 199,185 Ganesh idols in 2026, according to BMC data.
More than 24,000 police officers and about 25,000 BMC staff managed crowds and traffic.
By 9 PM on September 25, BMC recorded 16,154 idols immersed, including 14,864 household and 772 sarvajanik.
By Saturday afternoon, BMC counted 36,128 idols immersed, with 28,638 household, 6,936 sarvajanik, and 554 Hartalika.
Lalbaugcha Raja’s procession traveled from Lalbaug to Girgaon Chowpatty for immersion, drawing thousands.

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