Mumbai, Sep 19 (PTI) A total of 19,779 idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Gauri were immersed till 9 pm on Sunday in various water bodies in Mumbai as curtains came down on the 10-day Ganpati festival held amid various restrictions imposed for the second year in a row in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a civic official said. No untoward incident was reported till late night during the immersions, he said. The festival, which in normal times used to witness large gatherings and long queues on streets outside public mandals that host the celebrations, began on September 10. This year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) set up artificial lakes at 173 locations in the city, as well as idol collection centres and mobile immersion sites at various places to avoid crowding in the wake of the pandemic, the BMC official said. Besides, there were 73 locations of immersion at natural water bodies in the city civic limits and at all these places necessary arrangements were made by the BMC, he said. Till 9 pm, 1,910 idols of "sarvajanik" (public) mandals, 17,623 household Ganesh idols and 246 idols of Goddess Gauri were immersed in various water bodies here. Out of these idols, 710 public pandals, 7,761 household idols and 95 of Goddess Gauri were immersed in the artificial ponds, the official said. The idol of "Lalbaug Cha Raja" Ganesh mandal, which is the biggest draw of the festival in Mumbai, was immersed at Girgaon Chowpatty by around 3 pm. In normal times, it takes around 24 hours for the immersion of this idol, an official said. The BMC also deployed 715 lifeguards at various natural and artificial immersion sites, he said, adding that 587 steel plates were set up at the natural sites so that vehicles coming for immersions could be temporarily removed. The civic body also arranged 338 Nirmalya kalash (containers to collect offerings like flowers and other items), 182 Nirmalya vehicles, 185 control rooms, 144 first-aid centres, 39 ambulances were arranged. Also, 145 reception rooms, 84 temporary toilets, 3,707 floodlights, 116 searchlights, 48 observation towers and 36 motorboats and 30 German rafts were facilitated at natural immersion sites, besides other electrical arrangements. The BMC had issued guidelines to public mandals to minimise donation of garlands at the idols installed at their pandals. The civic body also said that household "shadu" (clay) and environment-friendly Ganesh idols should be immersed in a bucket or drum at home, if possible. The BMC had capped the height of household Ganesh idols to two feet and of public mandals to four feet. On the commencement of the festival on September 10, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had urged citizens to launch a strong movement against the coronavirus. Thackeray had said he prayed to Lord Ganesh to destroy all "evil and negativity", as the festival was being held amid the pandemic and looming threat of a third wave. Meanwhile, in Pune, the idols of five "Manache (prominent) Ganpati" - Kasba Ganesh, Tambdi Jogeshwari, Guruji Talim, Tulshibaug, and Kesari Wada - were immersed in artificial tanks set up at their respective pandals. Besides Kasba Ganesh, the idols of the deity from the other four mandals were immersed at their respective pandals by 2 pm. The idols of some other prominent mandals, including Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati, Bhau Rangari and Akhil Mandai Mandal, were immersed by 7 pm, police said. People in Nashik city also bid adieu to Lord Ganesh without the usual pomp and gaiety for the second year in a row due the COVID-19 pandemic. The local administration had created artificial ponds and mobile idol immersion centres to facilitate people to immerse the Ganesh idols. Some social organisations were also seen appealing the people to donate the idols, to which many responded positively. In Latur city of Marathwada region, thousands of idols were handed over at 16 collection centres set up there on the last day of Ganeshotsav on Sunday, civic officials said. The Latur Municipal Corporation has over the last three years asked people to donate "sarvajanik" as well as household idols at these collection centres instead of opting for immersions, mainly due to the perennial scarcity of water in the city. PTI ZA SPK COR GK NSK BNM NP NP