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The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has activated a life saving system alongside water bodies across the city to ensure there is no untoward incident during the idol immersion process on Friday for Ganeshotsav. Medical services are also being provided in parts of the city during the immersion procession.
Ganesh immersion procession is very popular in Pune with lakhs of citizens thronging the immersion routes, mainly Laxmi Road, Kumthekar Road, Kelkar Road and Tilak Road.
“The civic body will be deputing two Lifeguards and a Fireman at each of the 15 locations alongside Mutha river that cuts across the city as citizens in large numbers turn up to immerse ganesh idols on the last day of ganesh festival,” said the press statement of PMC.
These lifeguards and firemen will work in shifts for 24 hours till the immersion procession gets over on Sunday. In addition, the PMC will tie ropes across the river at various locations so that if anyone is drowning then they can catch hold of the rope to save their life. The deputed PMC team alongside water bodies will have life jackets for use during emergency situations.
“Three ICU beds have been set up in pandals on the route and 15 medical teams have been pressed into service to give treatment to the needy. A total of 80 doctors and 200 health staff are entrusted with the responsibility,” the statement said adding 30 ambulances would be parked near the immersion procession route.
PMC has also increased the number of installations of artificial tanks, mainly steel, across the city. There will be 648 steel tanks at 281 locations this year, as against 516 steel tanks at 255 locations last year, and concrete tanks at 38 locations in the city for citizens to immerse Ganesh idols. There will be 241 idol collection centres who donate the idols.
The PMC collects the Ganesh idols immersed in artificial tanks to re-immerse in a quarry in Wagholi. However, the district administration has banned taking pictures and videos of immersed idols in water bodies and quarries.
PMC has also installed waste collection containers at 338 locations in the city for citizens to deposit floral and other wastes. The civic administration has pressed garbage collecting vehicles for transportation of waste generated during the immersion process and would be taking up cleanliness drives on Sunday to clean the entire route of procession.
