The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has cleared 2,702 Ganpati mandals to erect pandals across Mumbai, while delays in police clearances continue to leave some organisers waiting close to the festival’s immersion schedule.
Civic records show that 4,164 mandals applied for permission this year, with most seeking approval to install pandals along roads. Of the applications processed so far, 2,702 have been approved and 17 remain pending with ward-level municipal commissioners. The number of approved mandals is expected to rise marginally as some permissions may be issued at the last minute.
The current tally is nearly the same as last year’s figure. The approvals govern the setting up of temporary structures in public spaces and along roads, making coordination between the civic administration, police and festival organisers necessary before the festival’s immersion activities begin.
Organisers said the BMC has taken steps to streamline the process, including granting five-year permissions to mandals. However, this does not remove the need for applications because police no-objection certificates are routed through the civic body. Organisers may also need fresh police clearance when they increase the size of their installations.
Nikhil Morye of Bal Mitra Mandal, which hosts the Mithanagar Cha Raja, said police verification can take longer than expected and leave organisers anxious. He said the longer permission period was a positive step, but the application process still had room for improvement.
Naresh Dahibhavkar, president of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti, said police personnel are often stretched by VVIP movements before the festival. He said mandal permissions should be processed well in advance to prevent a rush immediately before the celebrations.
With Ganpati immersions scheduled to begin from Tuesday, additional municipal commissioner Avinash Dhakne inspected key immersion locations on Sunday. The sites included Girgaum Chowpatty and Dadar Chowpatty in the island city, Juhu beach in the western suburbs and Powai Lake in the eastern suburbs. The inspection focused on civic facilities and safety arrangements for devotees.
Dhakne directed officials to inform mandals that the BMC provides cranes free of charge at immersion sites for Ganesh idols and asked organisers to use the facility. The civic body has also prepared more than 383 artificial ponds for the immersion of household Ganesh idols measuring up to six feet.
Organisers have raised a separate concern at some immersion locations. Dahibhavkar said water levels at sites such as Shyam Talao in Jogeshwari had fallen, potentially making it difficult to immerse taller idols there. Such idols may have to be taken to other nearby immersion sites this year, according to the organisers’ committee.
