Ganeshotsav: Pandals get time until Aug 31 for civic permission

Ganesh mandals have three more days to seek the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's permission to set up pandals – until August 31. The extension is being offered after the inconvenience caused to several organisers during process online filing of the application, introduced for the first time this year by the BMC. The idea of providing hassle-free service to mandals was hit with hurdles in the initial few days. However, the online glitches have been resolved and permissions are being given only through the online system, said Vijay Khabale, Chief Public Relations officer, BMC.

For the convenience of Ganeshotsav organisers, BMC has also deployed special staff in each of the city's 24 wards, to help mandals fill out the online application forms.

Until August 27, BMC had received 2,037 applications for pandals, of which they had issued permissions to 606 Ganeshotsav mandals. The South Mumbai's D-ward (Grant Road) has obtained the highest number of permissions, with G-north (Dadar, Mahim, Shivaji Park) ward in the second spot, C-ward (Girgaum, Bhuleshwar) is third while F-North ward (Sion, Matunga) is in the fourth position. Around 134 applications are still pending. The police department has around 250 applications pending, while the traffic department has to approve 248 applications.

In Mumbai, there are 2,200 Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandals, it is mandatory for them to obtain permission from the BMC, as their pandals are raised on roads. Besides this, 8,500 Ganpati mandals, which celebrate the festival on private land or in their building compounds, have to get permission from the Maharashtra noise pollution control board to use loudspeakers and for organising any community festival during the annual Ganeshotsav celebrations.