Nashik : With Ganeshotsav around the corner, roads dug up for upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela works have triggered strong resentment among Ganesh mandals in the city. The issue came to the fore at a coordination meeting convened by the city police at Bhadrakali police station on Tuesday.
MLA Devyani Pharande, police commissioner Sandeep Karnik, DCP (Zone 1) Monica Raut and other senior officers attended the meeting.
Karnik said the suggestions and concerns raised by the Ganesh mandals had been noted and that the police, in coordination with the concerned departments, would take immediate action. “In view of the upcoming Simhastha, mandals should remain vigilant during the Ganesh festival,” he said. Addressing the mandal office-bearers, Pharande said road repair works could be undertaken only after the monsoon, as asphalt and ready-mix works remain suspended during the rainy season.
However, she directed Smart City, Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) and other concerned agencies to urgently fill potholes along the main Ganesh immersion procession route. Meanwhile, police officials have urged mandals to maintain law and order and ensure public safety throughout the festival. They have also appealed to mandals to support the city police’s anti-drug initiative by putting up awareness banners around their premises, installing functional CCTV cameras, ensuring fire-safety measures and obtaining mandatory permissions for pandals, electricity connections and sound systems. Police also urged mandals to work towards maintaining communal harmony during the festival.
Senior NMC officials are likely to meet representatives of Ganesh mandals on Wednesday during the prize distribution ceremony organised by the city police for last year’s Ganeshotsav.