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Dahi Handi mandals in Thane ensure safety first
The police and govinda mandals are making sure that safety measures are in place for dahi handi celebrations on Saturday.
The police and govinda mandals are making sure that safety measures are in place for dahi handi celebrations on Saturday.
The govinda mandals have submitted details to the local police stations listing the safety measures that they have taken.
“We have approached the organisers and asked them to have spot insurance, provide harness and safety belt and keep ambulance and medical kit ready at the venue. Precautionary measures are the responsibility of both the participants and the organisers,” said Sameer Pendhare, vice-president, Dahi Handi Samanvayi Samiti.
Women mandals have also taken special efforts this year for ensuring the safety of the girls participating in the event.
“Although 60 of us are well- versed with forming the pyramid, we have 90 others as back up waiting at the ground level for support,” said Samyukta Kale, Govinda participanting from Shivtej Mahila Govinda Mandal.
“We motivate and encourage each other to give our best. We are all youngsters between age group of 14 and 32 years,” Kale said.
Sukhada Narkar, Thane police spokesperson, said, “State Reserve Police platoons — a special ladies squad in civil clothes — have been deployed for dahi handi celebrations to monitor incidents of teasing.”
“For bigger organisers in Thane city, we have special bandobast. All organisers have been given instructions to provide harness and other safety equipment. Both uniformed and civil cloth policemen will be deployed in all venues,” said Narkar.
Since last year, it has been made compulsory for all organisers to take insurance for every Govinda.
Every Govinda organisation will have 100 to 800 participants, depending on the number of tiers.
Meanwhile, Govinda groups in the city are not keen on celebrating dahi handi on a grand scale because of floods at many places in the state.
Most of the groups have contributed to the flood-affected victims of Kolhapur and Sangli in the state.
“Some of the Govindas have their families or friends in these flood-affected areas. They are not in the celebration mood. We will donate for the flood affected people,” Pendhare said.
