Heavy and oversized vehicles will face movement restrictions on designated routes in Thane during five major Ganeshotsav immersion days this month, as police prepare for large processions and increased road use across the city.
The restrictions were announced by Thane city police on Wednesday through a notification issued by Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre. The order covers the two-day, five-day, seven-day and Anant Chaturdashi Ganesh idol immersion periods and is intended to prevent congestion and allow processions to move through the city with fewer obstructions.
According to the notification, restrictions will apply on September 15, 18, 19, 20 and 25. The police have prescribed different timings for heavy and oversized vehicles on the respective immersion days and identified routes where their entry and movement will be regulated.
Police said the measures are necessary because the movement of large commercial vehicles into or out of Thane could add to congestion during immersion processions. Large numbers of devotees are expected to be on the roads, with processions travelling towards immersion locations during the prescribed periods.
Heavy and oversized vehicles will also face restrictions on other days during the Ganesh immersion period. On those days, their movement will be limited during the night, while vehicles will be permitted to travel during specified hours. The notification does not impose a blanket restriction throughout the festival period but sets different controls for key immersion days and other nights.
The police have asked vehicle operators to plan journeys around the notified timings and follow traffic instructions issued for the festival. Operators using routes through Thane city will need to account for the restricted periods when scheduling deliveries, freight movement and city crossings.
The restrictions are part of the traffic arrangements for one of the busiest periods of the Ganesh festival. Police officials said regulating heavy vehicle movement would help keep roads available for immersion processions and reduce delays for other road users.
The notification identifies the applicable dates, routes and timings for the restrictions. Further movement instructions during the immersion period will be issued and enforced by Thane traffic police under the arrangements announced by the commissioner.
