2,729 public Ganesh mandals in city; 373 applications rejected

2,729 public Ganesh mandals have been granted permissions in Mumbai this year, an increase of around 700 from last year. The permissions will be valid for five years.

Mumbai: A total of 2,729 public Ganesh mandals – an increase of around 700 from the previous year – have been granted permissions this year in the city till September 18.

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This year, 3,767 applications were submitted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), of which 665 were duplicate applications and 373 were rejected. The permissions will now be valid for five years.

Of the 373 applications that were rejected, 330 were done after spot inspections by BMC engineers. The remaining were rejected by the traffic police, local police and assistant commissioner. Last year, 445 applications were rejected.

For the immersion, there are 191 artificial lakes and 69 natural lakes. Nirbahaya teams, medical teams and lifeguards have been appointed at the sites.

“The BMC has organised special cleaning drives in the area of the mandals, the procession routes and immersion sites. Two dustbins, for dry waste and wet waste bins, will be placed at every mandal,” sources said, adding that the civic body has also filled potholes and trimmed trees in these areas.

“To further keep the cleanliness and reduce pollution into the sea and lakes, the ‘nirmalya’, flower waste, produced during the festival is to be processed into fertiliser,” sources added.