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Your space: Ganpati mandals need to display civic sense, say Pune residents
Police have asked Ganpati mandals to make judicial use of space so that commuters, elders, patients and childres are not inconvinienced, and urged to follow noise pollution norms. Readers share their views on the dos and don’ts for mandals
The Pune police have asked Ganpati mandals in the city to make judicious use of available space so that commuters, senior citizens, patients and children are not inconvenienced. Ganpati Mandals have been urged to follow noise pollution norms and other norms laid by the civic body and police authorities related to safe conduct of the festival. What is your view on the dos and don’ts for Ganpati mandals
We all look forward to this time of the year. However, the way Ganpati mandals go about trying to compete with each other causes misery to the people living in the vicinity, especially in the peth areas. Loud blaring music with obscene songs, flouting time norms and blockades causing traffic jams and forced diversion is a nightmare. People organising these mandals should remember that no god would be happy to see a student unable to study or a senior citizen unable to sleep because of the loud music. Patients trying to reach hospital may lose the golden period in which life could be saved. So, the mandals instead of competing with each other in who plays the most trending music loudest or which is the biggest should try to be competitive in who displays the duty of civic sense best while keeping the festive spirit intact.
Dr Sonia Basu
Donate funds to flood-hit victims
Following noise pollution norms is a very good initiative taken by the civic body and the police authorities. We should all urge the Ganpati mandals to donate some amount of the money to the flood victims in Kolhapur and Sangli. They should check noise pollution as many elders are affected by this. As many roads are narrow and incomplete, we should urge small Ganpati mandals to come together and set up one pandal so that it will be convenient for residents and lessen pressure on the police.
Saurabh Shimpi
Mandals should behave responsibly
Ganpati is a festival that has a lot of importance for Indians. Everyone has the right to enjoy the festival, responsibly. Ganpati mandals should take care of noise pollution that is generated by the loud music played. Mandals also should behave responsibly and undertake initiatives for the amount of plastic used, to celebrate the festival in an environmental-friendly way.
Tejas Chavan
It is a big business nowadays
Ganpati mandals are run by youth who are self-employed and affiliated to political parties. The celebrations are made as lavish as possible, especially by some established popular mandals. They want celebration to make more news, no worries of funds because they collect money from local shops and showrooms, everyone pays to avoid tension. Now, there are some businesses who create new celebration items. Stages, ambience decorators, orchestra and many others want to earn money. There are some medium and small mandals, but the number is high. The popular mandals earn money offered by people. It is a big business nowadays and that is the reason so much efforts are put. Many people involved are unaware about eco-friendly celebration. Sound, lights and DJ will remain the same. With pandals set up on roads, there is less traffic. Emergencies will be impacted like movement of ambulance if roads are occupied. With so many mandals, it is right to set up pandals on roads?
Rahul Birade
Route and spaces should be planned
Ganesh festival is usually for 10 days. We should excuse them during this period, but there needs to be an increase in the no parking area, and action needs to be taken on the encroached footpath. During this festival, the police should also take action on shops/ restaurants who are using their parking place for commercial purpose for many people and vehicular traffic will increase during the festival. Thus, police as well as Pune Municipal Corporation should instead plan the route and spaces well so that traffic is not hampered
Sarang Wable
Emergency services should not be affected
Ganpati festival is a joyous occasion and everyone enjoys it, but while doing so, those on the street should also remember to not inconvenience others, delay ambulances and create unnecessary traffic jams. We are aware that the police are also under pressure from local bigwigs to allow the religious fervour of celebrating the festival, but it should be all done within a certain discipline like if the police can help plan alternative routes for traffic, or create bandobasts to ensure safety of pedestrians as well as vehicles and disallow temporary erected eating joints within 20 metres from any pandals. Also let mandals stick to their ward limits and try not to cross into borders and cut the road/ footpath. Only then the festival can be enjoyable.
Arun Bandi
It has become a social nuisance
The police are right in curtailing the Ganpati mandals from coming onto the roads. A lot gets swept under the carpet in the guise of religious celebrations. Each one wants to do bigger, better and noisier than the other. Today in Camp, the road from Centre Street to Babajan chowk was blocked by a pandal that occupied half the road. Stalls selling idols are built on footpaths, reducing parking space. We cannot park our cars for a few minutes on a corner, but a pandal can be built there for 15 days or so. Cops too turn a blind eye. What started as a social cause during the freedom struggle has now become a social nuisance with everyone jumping into the fray.
Anita Kodkany
Rules are flouted
Safety and inconvenience of residents should be an issue of concern, but by doing so aren’t we moving away from the basic motto of our great leader Lokmanya Tilak, which was creating social, political awareness among the masses. Ganpati mandals who directly can reach masses by the medium of decoration they display in their pandals, permission given by authorities for erecting the pandal is of 10x10 feet, what can one create in such a small place. Agreed even on this point that erecting a 10x10 pandal, but we have seen this criteria is not applicable to all mandals uniformly, even discrimination is seen here , some mandal erect huge pandals and the specific rule is applied only for common mandal who don’t have a history or name behind them. So, I feel rules should be followed but the rules should be viable, and uniform to each and every mandal.
Nilesh Prakash Nikam
