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In 3-km radius, most pandals flout norms, citizens suffer due to traffic jams
Citizens noted that the size of pandals this year has increased and amid growing concerns for action on those mandals which are creating traffic congestion
With the Ganesh festival drawing closer, many mandals have started erecting pandals in most parts of the city while overlooking the guidelines by PMC and city police. Hindustan Times visited the area within a 3-kilometre radius in Sadashiv Peth, Tilak Road, Laxmi Road and Kumthekar Road and found around 50 pandals, most of them erected in the middle of the road, blocking traffic.
The 10-day festival will begin across the state on September 7, and owing to these huge pandals, many chowks and internal roads are creating major congestion and traffic jams throughout the day even during lean hours, leaving commuters frustrated as the festival is still a week away.
An Assistant municipal commissioner of PMC said on an anonymity basis, “The permission to all the Ganpati Mandals is given as per the norms set and our squads are also randomly checking the Mandals Pandal across the city. If found violating the rules and blocking the rules then action will be taken against them,”
Citizens noted that the size of pandals this year has increased and amid growing concerns for action on those mandals which are creating traffic congestion.
Mainly the Peth areas are the most affected ones, as there are narrow internal rains and several schools are based in this area daily thousands of citizens travel by these roads. Starting with the main Bajirao Road and Tilak Road where Ganpati mandal pandals are installed on the road covering half of the road. One such major Ganpati Mandal is the Natubag Ganpati Mandal on Bajirao Road which covers half of the road leading to traffic jams on this major road through which daily public transport buses, cars and two-wheelers travel and during the peak hours long queues of vehicles are seen since last couple of days since the Pandal has been installed.
“I daily travel by Bajirao Road for my work but since this Mandal pandal has been installed it takes 20 minutes for us to pass this stretch of road as it covers half of the road. If we try to avoid the main road and go by the internal lanes then also it is difficult as many Ganpati Pandals are erected internally as well and complete traffic jam is seen mainly because the pandal’s sizes have grown with more space on the road getting captured,” said Shailesh Mujumdar a citizen.
Shripad Kulkarni, another resident from Navi Peth noted that many mandals have expanded the pendals or put up other material including vehicles to be turned into chariots in the middle of the road. “This is creating more problems for traffic even during afternoon hours which is considered lean time for vehicle flow,” said Kulkarni.
In the Sadashiv Peth area the Nimbalkar Talim Ganpati Mandal, a major landmark, has been witnessing regular traffic congestion for the last few days. The Pandal is installed in between the Chowk and as there is one way for vehicles coming from one side going towards Maharana Pratap Garden Chowk, this Pandal is blocking the Chowk. “Every year we have to face this difficulty of travelling from this Chowk, and I guess the size of this pandal has also increased this year,” said Mamta Gandhi another local citizen.
Another Ganpati pandal which is near Nimbalkar Talim Ganpati Mandal, is of the Digvijay Ganpati Mandal in Sadashiv Peth just before the Nagnath Par Chowk. This Pandal is in the middle of the road and many two-wheelers as well as cars come in no-entry at this Chowk leading to a major traffic jam. Talking about the mandal’s pandal installed in the middle of this Chowk one of the volunteers of this Mandal said on an anonymity basis, “Every year our Pandal is at this chowk and we have permission from the PMC and Pune police department. People should cooperate with us as the festival is only for 10 days and later on we immediately remove the Pandal.”
Going ahead another major traffic congestion which happens is at the Munjabacha Bol Ganpati mandal in the Narayan Peth area, this Mandal is near the busy shopping street road of the city. There are many shops surrounding this Pandal and on one side there is Ramanbaug School due to which daily hundreds of students and their transportation vehicles pass through this road. As the pandal is in between the road, long queues of vehicles were seen at this chowk causing traffic jams and surprisingly there were no traffic police to monitor the traffic situation.
“The PMC officials and Pune police department should not allow any of the Ganpati mandals to install huge Pandals which cover more than half of the road, due to this already worse traffic condition of Pune city is not going for a toss. We are not willing to go out during the Ganpati festival and be stuck in traffic jams for hours and inhale the pollution coming through the vehicles,” said Smita Kulkarni a citizen.
