Mumbai : Despite some mandals not receiving permission to set up Ganesh pandals, they have declared that they will celebrate the festival in full swing.
The chairman of Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Samanvay Samiti, Naresh Dahibavkar, said the traffic police have been uncooperative about issuing permission to mandals. However, as it was with the Dahi Handi festival, the government might take legal action against illegal pandals after the festival is over. The samiti would rather face this action than curtail celebrations.
Dahibavkar said the traffic police has not cooperated in the expected manner. They rejected the permission proposals of mandals that had not submitted blueprints for their pandals along with the applications. However, the mandals were unaware of this clause. He said, “The traffic police should have given mandals a chance to reapply with the requisite documents instead of rejecting the applications.” He also said the BMC has not met the samiti’s demands of setting up temporary ponds for immersion. There are presently only 26 temporary ponds in Mumbai, which will be insufficient for immersion.