Ganeshotsav
Itankar said civic teams would carry out surprise fire safety inspections at Ganesh mandals throughout the 10-day festival, even after they obtain the mandatory clearances. Responding to demands from several mandals to allow DJs to operate without interruption until 10 pm, CP cautioned against extremely loud audio-visual systems, particularly those involving high-repetition beats and lasers. Nagpur: NMC commissioner Vipin Itankar has announced that NMC’s fire department will conduct surprise fire audits at all Ganesh mandals of the city to ensure that all guidelines are adhered to. For idol installation permissions, the administration has launched a centralised online single-window portal through which applications will be routed to the concerned police stations.
“Plastic props are being used at several mandals, and these are very susceptible to fire,” said Itankar. Appealing to citizens to use public transport during the festival, Itankar said the civic administration was also exploring an e-bus feeder service from Metro stations to major Ganesh mandals to reduce congestion and the parking menace. Commissioner of police Vishwas Nangre-Patil urged organisers not to turn Ganeshotsav into a competition over high-powered DJ and sound systems. The administration is also in talks with an institute in Mumbai to explore recycling POP idols into furniture.
He was speaking at a coordination meeting between NMC, Nagpur police and the city’s ganpati mandals and NGOs at Suresh Bhat auditorium on Saturday.