Public Ganeshotsav mandaps occupying more than the permitted share of roads have created traffic obstruction concerns in parts of Vasai-Virar, despite municipal and police rules limiting the space that temporary structures can use, according to a report by Loksatta.
The report said several mandaps had occupied more than half of the road in different parts of the city. Its summary stated that some structures covered between 50% and 75% of the available road space, affecting traffic movement and raising questions about how permissions were being issued by the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation.
The civic body and police administration had introduced rules for mandap construction ahead of the festival. During a recent meeting, the police appealed to public Ganesh mandals to restrict their structures to 25% of the road. The municipal administration had also applied the same limit, the report said.
Public Ganeshotsav celebrations are held across Vasai-Virar every year, alongside household installations and mandaps in rural and urban areas. Temporary structures are generally erected for the 10-to-11-day festival period. The rules are intended to ensure that these installations do not obstruct residents, motorists and other road users.
Permission applications are processed through a single-window system. The documents required include a registration certificate from the Charity Commissioner, a no-objection certificate from the owner of the proposed site, a site plan, and a list of office-bearers and members with their contact details. Applicants must also submit an undertaking from the mandal.
The required supporting documents include previous-year no-objection certificates from the local police station, traffic police, fire department and the authorities responsible for loudspeaker permissions. These requirements are intended to establish the organisation’s identity, confirm landowner consent and assess traffic, fire-safety and public-order implications before a mandap is approved.
The report did not identify the individual mandaps or locations where the alleged violations occurred. It also did not include a response from the municipal corporation, police administration or organisers on whether the structures had received permissions or whether enforcement action had been initiated.
The immediate issue for road users is whether temporary festival structures are being installed within the prescribed 25% limit and whether traffic and safety conditions are being checked after construction. The supplied report did not state the next enforcement step or provide details of any notices, removals or penalties issued by the authorities.
