India, Sept. 27 -- More people opted for eco-friendly and alternative arrangements for Ganesh idol immersion this year, with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) recording 6,77,057 idols immersed or collected for immersion during Ganeshotsav 2026-up from 6,54,410 last year, an increase of nearly 3.5%, officials said on Saturday.

Santosh Warule, head of the PMC solid waste management department, said, "The PMC had appealed to citizens to avoid immersing idols in rivers and lakes and use the facilities provided by the civic body to prevent pollution of natural water sources. The response received this year was comparatively better."

According to officials, the rise was recorded as the civic body expanded facilities to keep idols out of ri...