Surat: Ahead of Anant Chaturdashi on September 6, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has set up 21 artificial ponds for immersing idols up to five feet tall, while larger idols will be taken directly to the coastal areas of Dumas, Hazira, and Ichhapore.

Notably, this year the city has witnessed a record sthapana (installation) of around 81,000 Ganesh pandals. To ensure smooth immersions on Saturday, SMC will deploy officials from the fire department and traffic police, and provide cranes in coastal zones to assist in lifting and placing tall idols into boats for immersion. Authorities have appealed to devotees not to immerse idols in the Tapi river or canals.

With heavy to very heavy rain forecast in the coming days, SMC, police, and district authorities have also devised joint safety measures to manage the immersion process smoothly. DeshGujarat