After monsoon playing havoc, Mumbai city roads have found a new nemesis, pandals erected by Ganesh mandals.
On Friday, DNA’s lensmen fanned out and found many pandals encroaching on walking and driving space. Some had occupied a major area on newly repaired roads. While devotees lined-up for darshan, officials from the civic road and traffic department said that these pandals might inflict considerable damage on the roads.
The pandal of Prabhadevicha Raja at New Prabhadevi, Dadar, the Vakola bridge Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandal, Santa Cruz and another mandal at Dharavi, all have encroached upon road space. A senior civic official said that some of the mandals had been set up before these roads were developed but admitted that many violated rules.
In fact, the Prabhadevi pandal has come upon the road which was recently paved. Some like Mahesh Ganpati mandal at Kataria Marg, Matunga have even accounted for a BEST stop.
“Some mandals have been celebrating Ganpati for over 30 years. There have been new constructions around such areas. We have requested the BMC to provide for new places as the mandals cannot shift base. That is why they come onto the roads. As far as digging up is concerned, no complaints have come. We request mandals to use drums but if they have dug up roads then they will be asked to repair them. I will have to take a round though,” said Kundan Aagaskar, working president, Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti.
Source
NAIndia
