Initiative turns floral offerings into compost and encourages residents to celebrate Ganeshotsav responsibly.

The Composite

As Ganeshotsav celebrations continue across the city, an eco-friendly initiative is helping ensure that religious offerings do not end up as waste. The Dr Shri Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Pratishthan is collecting nirmalya at six major Ganesh immersion sites in Navi Mumbai and sending it for composting.

The initiative encourages devotees to place flowers and other religious offerings in specially designated containers instead of throwing them into water bodies. Volunteers at the sites are collecting and separating the waste before sending the floral material for composting.

The collection drive is being carried out at Diwale Jetty, Belapur village lake, Nerul village lake, Chincholi Lake in Shiravane-Juinagar, Koparkhairane Dharan Lake and Airoli Creek Lake. During the immersion of 1.5-day Ganesh idols, around 1,485 kg of nirmalya was collected from these six locations. Airoli recorded the highest collection at 450 kg, followed by Koparkhairane with 320 kg.

The collected flowers will be converted into compost, which can later be used for tree plantation and maintaining greenery in the city. The drive will continue throughout the Ganesh immersion period, giving residents an easy way to dispose of religious offerings responsibly while helping keep Navi Mumbai’s water bodies and surroundings cleaner.

Unique booklet combines popular Ganeshotsav Aartis with messages on waste segregation and environmental protection.

The Message

With Ganeshotsav bringing families and communities together, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has come up with a unique way to promote cleanliness and environmental awareness. The civic body has introduced a special Aarti booklet that combines devotional Aartis with simple messages on keeping Navi Mumbai clean and eco-friendly.

The foldable booklet includes popular Aartis dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, Lord Vitthal and other saints and deities. Alongside the prayers, it carries useful information encouraging citizens to adopt responsible waste management practices. The booklet urges residents to separate wet, dry, domestic hazardous and sanitary waste. It also encourages people to choose clay Ganesha idols instead of Plaster of Paris idols, avoid plastic bags and use cloth bags, and properly manage nirmalya by converting it into compost.

Designed to be compact and easy to carry, the booklet has been distributed across Navi Mumbai, including through school students. The initiative has also been promoted through social media. Through the initiative, NMMC aims to connect religious celebrations with everyday civic responsibility and encourage residents to celebrate Ganeshotsav while keeping the city clean and protecting the environment.

Special teams to monitor water use at construction sites and swimming pools, civic body to review dam storage on November 30.

The Measures

With the water level in Morbe Dam gradually declining, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has stepped up preparations to conserve water and prevent unnecessary consumption across the city.

Although the planned water cuts were withdrawn from Gokul Ashtami following requests from the ruling BJP, the civic administration has now increased monitoring as rainfall remained weak in August and September. The Morbe Dam, which supplies water to Navi Mumbai, is currently at around 91% storage, with 75% usable water, compared with 100% storage and 84% usable water during the same period last year.

Municipal Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde has directed officials to ensure that drinking water is not used for construction activities. Special teams have been formed to monitor water consumption at construction sites and swimming pools.

Construction workers and others at project sites will continue to receive water for drinking purposes. However, if the water is found to be diverted for construction or other uses, the concerned connection may be disconnected immediately.

Swimming pools have also been instructed to maximise the reuse of water as part of the conservation measures.

The civic administration is scheduled to review the water storage in Morbe Dam on November 30. Based on the situation, a new water-supply schedule may be introduced from December 1. Officials have also indicated that an earlier review could be conducted if adequate rainfall does not occur in the coming weeks.