Ganeshotsav mandaps erected on roads in Mira Bhayandar have led to traffic obstruction and complaints that several organisers are not following the municipal corporation’s rules for temporary structures, according to a report by Loksatta – Vasai-Virar.
More than 200 public Ganesh mandals in the city install idols and build mandaps on roads during the festival season. Residents have complained that large structures on narrow roads are restricting vehicle movement and causing particular difficulty for ambulances and school buses.
The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation has prescribed several conditions for mandap construction. A mandap cannot occupy more than one-fourth of the total road width, while at least 12 feet must remain available for vehicle movement on a public transport route. The rules also prohibit permission for mandaps on roads that are eight feet wide or narrower.
Organisers are required to maintain a minimum distance of six feet from electrical wires and distribution boxes. Digging into concrete or paver-block roads is also prohibited under the municipal conditions. Additional Municipal Commissioner Sambhaji Panpatte had stated a few days ago that legal action would be taken against organisers who violated the rules, the report said.
The civic administration had also announced a relaxation in the permission process this year. Mandals with no recorded complaint or rule violation over the past 10 years are to receive permission for mandap construction for five years. The relaxation does not remove the conditions governing road width, traffic access, electrical safety or damage to roads.
According to the report, several mandaps have nevertheless been erected in ways that allegedly breach these conditions. Social worker Dhiraj Parab has sought action from the police commissioner against mandaps constructed in violation of the rules. The complaints include structures put up on narrow roads and arrangements that obstruct traffic.
The administration had announced that a committee headed by the tehsildar would inspect mandaps in the city ahead of Ganeshotsav. It had also stated that unauthorised structures or mandaps found to be violating the rules would be removed immediately and that action would be taken against the concerned organisers.
However, residents have alleged that inspections and enforcement have not taken place even after most mandaps were erected. Senior municipal officials told Loksatta that mandaps found to be in violation would be inspected and that necessary changes would be made.
The report did not provide a number of mandaps inspected, notices issued, structures removed or penalties imposed by the municipal corporation or police. The administration’s announced inspection and enforcement process remains the next official step in addressing the reported obstructions.
