Ahmedabad Banishes Idol Immersion in Sabarmati, Sets Up 47 Artificial Ponds

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has prohibited the immersion of Ganesh idols in the Sabarmati river, local lakes, and water bodies, creating 47 artificial ponds across 38 locations to prevent water pollution during the festival.

The engineering department will construct these dedicated ponds across seven municipal zones. The West zone leads with 12 artificial ponds, followed by 11 in the Central zone, eight in the North zone, five in the North-West zone, four each in the South and South-West zones, and three in the East zone.

Key locations designated for immersion include “Vastral, Nikol, Naranpura, Sabarmati, Navrangpura, Ranip, Paldi, Chandkheda, Saijpur, Sardarnagar, Vatva, Maninagar, Lambha, Shahibaug, Jamalpur, Bodakdev, Chandlodiya, Gota, Thaltej, Jodhpur, and Sarkhej”.

Polyethylene Liners and Environmental Safeguards

To prevent chemical contaminants and wastewater from seeping into the soil, engineers will line the artificial ponds with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic liners. The dimensions of each pond are tailored to match immersion volumes recorded in previous years.

The AMC will route liquid waste generated from the immersions directly to Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) for safe processing. Municipal teams will pump out and drain the used water through a regulated disposal system.

Round-the-Clock Hygiene and Waste Clearance

Sanitation workers will clean the pond premises and pandal areas twice daily, using chemical disinfectant sprays. Specialized collection system points will handle organic waste (nirmalya), including flowers and coconut offerings.

Dedicated barrels and dustbins for segregated waste will sit at all locations. Once immersion activities conclude, zone-wise machinery and municipal vehicles will collect the submerged idols and transport them to designated disposal sites.

Directional signage, safety barricades, and motorable approach roads will guide citizens safely to the sites. Civic teams will also run Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns using banners to encourage cleanliness.

Strict Riverfront Restrictions and Deployment

Unauthorised immersion of idols along the Sabarmati Riverfront is strictly banned. Large idols granted specific permissions for river immersion will be systematically retrieved by AMC teams post-immersion and moved to corporate disposal facilities.

The civic body is partnering with local police to enforce crowd management, safeguard riverbanks, and stop citizens from dumping waste into the river.

Fire department personnel, security guards, and estate officials will remain deployed at all 47 sites to clear road encroachments and prevent accidents. Staff from the health, engineering, fire, electrical, and solid waste management departments will work in dated, shift-wise duties. Streetlights and site illumination will remain operational throughout the immersion period.