Hindustan Times ·
PMC rents quarry for idol re-immersion during Ganeshotsav, Navratri
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will rent a quarry at Bhawadi, Ambegaon, for the re-immersion of Ganesh and Goddess Durga idols during the upcoming Ganeshotsav and Navratri festivals
The civic administration has proposed renting the quarry from owner Somnath Tambe for 25 days. The standing committee on Wednesday approved the proposal after Tambe reduced his initial quote from ₹15 lakh to ₹12.5 lakh following discussions with the civic body.
Standing committee chairman Shrinath Bhimale said, “After discussions with the quarry owner, the initial quote of ₹15 lakh was reduced to ₹12.5 lakh. The revised rate was considered before approving the proposal”.
The quarry has been arranged for the re-immersion of idols collected during Ganeshotsav 2026. The facility will also be used for the re-immersion of idols of Goddess Durga during Navratri.
The PMC had invited quotations for the facility. Tambe had submitted the lowest quote. The owner initially quoted ₹15 lakh for the 25-day period.
According to the civic administration, quarry rental rates generally increase by around 15% every year. Tambe told the PMC that the quote took into account the increase for two years, as there was no hike in rent last year. It also included five additional days required for the Durga festival.
The PMC subsequently held discussions with Tambe to bring down the cost. He then submitted a revised quote of ₹12.5 lakh.
The solid waste management department said that there is no objection to renting the quarry at the revised rate. It said the arrangement is necessary as idol re-immersion is a sensitive issue during the festival period and the facility needs to be secured in advance. Besides, the department also confirmed that the required funds are available in its budget for the arrangement, they said.
Meanwhile, the PMC standing committee on Wednesday approved a proposal to allot 12 acres at the Phursungi-Uruli Devachi waste depot to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) for a bio-CNG project.
The plant will process 300 metric tonnes of wet waste daily. The BPCL will bear the entire cost of construction, operation and maintenance; standing committee chairman Shrinath Bhimale said.
“The project will increase the civic body’s wet-waste processing capacity without putting a financial burden on the PMC,” Bhimale said.
According to officials, the land will be leased for 27 years, including two years for construction and 25 years for operation, at a nominal rent of ₹1 per acre annually.
The PMC Pune generates around 2,700 to 2,800 metric tonnes of solid waste every day. Of this, the civic body collects around 1,000 to 1,100 metric tonnes of wet waste through its waste management system. Another 150 metric tonnes is treated through organic waste management and household composting. However, the civic body currently has an installed capacity to process only 595 metric tonnes of wet waste per day.