To ease commuting in the city during Ganesh Chaturthi, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in collaboration with the Mumbai Traffic Police and Mumbai Police has updated Google Maps with road closures and alternate routes in the city to help all Mumbaikars plan and navigate properly on the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th and 9th September for Ganesh Idol immersion.
The initiative was started by BMC in April this year to provide easier convenience amid several works of road repairs, storm water drain improvements, footpath improvement, repairs of bridges which are going on across the city that led to closure or diversion of several roads.
The initiative will help commuters save time and plan their journey accordingly as now they will have access to the latest updates on road closures and available alternate routes on Google Maps.
“With several infrastructure development projects being carried out across Mumbai, and with citizen centric approach, BMC’s Information Technology department felt it was important to facilitate a seamless platform for its various teams at wards and departments such as roads, sewerage, storm water drain, etc. so that they can update the latest information on Google Maps itself. This will help in getting almost near real-time, and in easy and accurate updates,” the BMC had said.
With coronavirus-induced restrictions out of the way, devotees are flocking to Ganesh pandals across Mumbai in large numbers as the festival of the elephant-headed god began two days ago.
People are doing `pandal-hopping' with gusto, especially in central Mumbai areas of Lalbaug, Parel and Girgaon where some famous Ganesh Mandals or groups install the idols.
The `Lalbaugcha Raja' Ganpati draws lakhs of people every year from Mumbai as well as the surrounding satellite cities, though in the last two years coronavirus played spoilsport.
he Mandal which has been celebrating the festival since 1934 had not put up its pandal in the first year of the pandemic while in 2021 entry into the pandal was restricted.
But this year Lalbaugcha Raja is once again attracting huge crowds which are expected to swell further from the weekend onward.
The pandal this time is modelled on the Ram temple being constructed in Ayodhya.
