Mumbai: With Ganeshotsav just four days away, around 40% of Ganesh mandals in Mumbai were still awaiting BMC permission to set up their pandals as of Thursday. Of the 2,670 applications received by the civic body, 479 were found to be duplicate applications, while 1,239 had been approved and 1,052 remained pending.
545 applications were pending with the police and another 507 were awaiting traffic police clearance, according to BMC officials. The development comes even as BMC intensified preparations for Ganesh idol immersion ahead of the festival, which will be celebrated from Sept 14 to Sept 25. BMC has set up 24 ward-level coordination committees to oversee Ganeshotsav arrangements. Meanwhile, Tawde also released the BMC’s Ganeshotsav 2026 information booklet at the civic headquarters on Thursday.
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The civic administration said it expects permissions for all eligible mandals to be cleared by the coming weekend. Tawde directed civic officials to ensure that immersion procession routes remain free of obstructions and to provide more artificial immersion ponds. She also called for arrangements to speed up immersion at natural sites. At Girgaon Chowpatty, Tawde directed officials to increase the number of mobile toilets and provide drinking water and adequate lifeguards, given the expected footfall. She also asked the BMC to turn the nirmalya collected at the site into compost. The mayor further directed the civic administration to prominently display information boards at all immersion sites, including Swarajya Bhoomi, informing devotees that idol immersion and other civic facilities are being provided free of charge. The committees include civic officials, police representatives, members of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti and officials from other concerned departments. The booklet contains details of natural and artificial immersion ponds, civic facilities and the entry form for the Ganesh Gaurav awards, besides other information for public Ganesh mandals. Download the TOI App.
Mayor Ritu Tawde on Thursday inspected immersion arrangements at several key locations in south and central Mumbai, including the Gateway of India, Girgaon Chowpatty, Lotus Jetty in Worli, the BMC sports building near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Maidan in Dadar, Keluskar Road (North) and Sion Lake.