Thane Ganeshotsav mandap permissions remain pending for most applicants, with the Thane Municipal Corporation approving only nine of the 174 applications received for festival structures as of August 31, according to civic figures reported by Loksatta. The delay comes shortly before the Ganeshotsav celebrations and has raised concerns about the timely completion of related arrangements.
The municipal corporation had opened online and offline application channels for mandap permissions for Ganeshotsav and the Dahi Handi festival. Of the 174 Ganeshotsav applications, 111 were submitted online and 63 offline. Only nine applications had been approved by August 31.
Mandap permissions are linked to arrangements involving electricity, loudspeakers, fire safety and traffic management. Organisers awaiting approval may therefore face difficulties in finalising construction and associated event planning before the celebrations begin.
The highest number of Ganeshotsav applications was recorded in the Majiwada-Manpada and Wagle areas, with 33 and 26 applications respectively. No mandap had received approval in Majiwada-Manpada, while two of the 26 applications in Wagle had been approved.
Loksatta reported that Lokmanya Nagar-Savarkar Nagar received 24 applications without any approval. Diva received 11 applications, while Naupada-Kopri received 12; neither area had received approval by August 31. Applications were also recorded in Uthalsar, Vartak Nagar and Mumbra, with 17, 15 and four applications respectively. The report did not specify approvals for these areas in the Ganeshotsav figures.
The approval position for Dahi Handi mandaps was comparatively higher. The municipal corporation had received 55 applications by August 31, including five online and 50 offline applications, and approved 28 mandaps. In Wagle, six of 10 applications were approved; Lokmanya Nagar-Savarkar Nagar received approval for both of its two applications. Vartak Nagar approved five of 11 applications, while Majiwada-Manpada approved three of 10.
Uthalsar and Kalwa each approved three applications, from four and six applications respectively. Diva had two applications but no approval, while no Dahi Handi application had been received from Mumbra.
The reported figures show a marked difference between applications and approvals for the two festivals. The Thane Municipal Corporation’s next approvals will determine whether organisers can complete mandap, electrical, fire-safety, sound and traffic arrangements before the scheduled celebrations. The civic administration had not, in the supplied report, stated a final date for clearing the remaining applications.
