Thane city police has announced restrictions on the entry and movement of heavy and oversized vehicles on designated routes during key Ganesh idol immersion days in September, citing the need to manage congestion and keep immersion processions moving safely.
The restrictions were issued through a notification by Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre and will apply during the two-day, five-day and seven-day Ganesh idol immersions, as well as Anant Chaturdashi. Police said large numbers of devotees are expected to take part in processions across the city during the festival period.
According to the notification, restrictions on heavy and oversized vehicles will be enforced on September 15, 18, 19, 20 and 25. Different timings have been prescribed for each of these immersion days. The notification identifies designated routes where the entry and movement of such vehicles will be restricted during the specified periods.
Police said the restrictions are intended to prevent heavy vehicles entering or leaving Thane from adding to congestion or obstructing the movement of Ganesh immersion processions. The controls will apply to heavy and oversized vehicles, while other road users will continue to be governed by traffic instructions issued for the festival period.
Additional night restrictions will also apply to heavy and oversized vehicles on other days during the Ganesh immersion period. On those days, the vehicles will be restricted from moving at night but will be allowed to travel during specified hours, according to the police notification.
The restrictions come as Thane prepares for increased movement on city roads linked to idol processions and immersion activity. Police officials said regulating heavy vehicle movement during the busiest periods would help reduce delays and provide smoother routes for processions and other road users.
Vehicle operators have been asked to plan their journeys in advance and follow the traffic instructions issued by the Thane Police for the festival period. The notification does not provide, in the information available, a route-by-route list or the exact timings for each restriction period.
