In Nashik, the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) gathered over 200,000 Ganapati idols and 177 tonnes of puja waste donated by devotees in the city during Ganapati immersion on Anant Chaturdashi. The NMC is committed to preventing river pollution by promoting eco-friendly Ganapati immersion. They have urged devotees to donate idols to the NMC instead of immersing them in the Godavari river. The NMC has designated 80 locations in the city for idol immersion, including natural spots along the Godavari river and its tributaries, as well as artificial ponds in six divisions of the municipal corporation. Devotees can participate in the immersion process by taking a dip in the river or ponds before donating idols to the NMC. This year, the NMC collected 5,000 more idols compared to last year, totaling 79,000 idols from the Panchavati division and 45,000 idols from the Nashik Road division, with the rest from the Nashik East, Nashik West, Satpur, and Cidco divisions. Staff and volunteers were stationed at all immersion spots to collect idols and puja waste, resulting in a 18% increase in puja waste collection compared to the previous year.