Pune, 4th September 2025: Despite extravagant promises and costly expenditure, the municipal corporation's elaborate visarjan plans have turned into a logistical failure. The private contractors engaged to oversee the ponds have not removed the idols promptly, resulting in heaps of abandoned idols at various locations across Pimpri Chinchwad. In numerous places, transport vehicles remained unused for hours as the workers failed to appear.
PCMC's immersion plan faces criticism as the system has been disrupted by delayed vehicle arrivals at immersion sites, a shortage of workers, and overall negligence of responsibilities. The municipal administration is now under examination, with both residents and civic staff voicing considerable dissatisfaction over the contractors' irresponsible conduct.
Idols from the one-and-a-half-day and five-day Ganesh festivities are being submerged in artificial ponds created by the corporation. To facilitate the transport of these donated idols, the civic body has hired contractors, incurring expenses of several lakhs of rupees. Last year, the corporation spent Rs 1.5 crore on these services.
The timing has only intensified public anger, with devotees describing the situation as disrespectful and distressing. Although the festival is ongoing, the civic system appears to have already surrendered.
This year, with distinct contracts allocated at both workshop and ward levels, the visarjan budget is anticipated to reach Rs 4.5 crore. However, despite directives from the corporation, contractors are blatantly disregarding regulations, according to civic staff.
Each vehicle is mandated to have a minimum of four laborers, yet numerous locations report absent workers. Consequently, the collection, transportation, and secure management of immersed idols are experiencing significant delays.
Contractor-induced chaos has hampered cleanup operations. A budget of 4 crore is expended without oversight, Visarjan has turned into a civic catastrophe. Ganesh idols are decomposing in artificial ponds across Pimpri-Chinchwad as the civic body's Visarjan plan collapses due to contractor carelessness and insufficient workforce.
