Mumbai traffic: Ganesh fervour causing jams in city?

Ganesh idols being taken to pandals in long procession and accompanied by loud music. Pic/Tanvi Phondekar

Ganesh idols being taken to pandals in long procession and accompanied by loud music. Pic/Tanvi Phondekar

The unusually long traffic jams noticed throughout the city over the past two weeks are thanks to the city's favourite got being ferried to the respective pandals. The city has been witnessing a rising trend in 'Aagman Sohala', where Ganesh mandals organise grand processions and music while bringing the Ganesh idols to their pandals.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Amitesh Kumar, said, "These mandals have to take our permission while carrying out processions and in a majority of the cases, permissions are granted. But, in some cases, smaller mandals fail to intimate us, causing huge traffic problems. However, we try and regulate traffic as quickly as possible in such cases."

For years, the city police have been asking mandals to take their idols, mainly from workshops located in Lalbaug, Girgaum, and Parel areas, during the night so that there is less disturbance caused to traffic. But, this year, most idols have been taken to the pandals in the daytime or during peak hour, causing traffic problems.

A police official, who did not wish to be named, said, "We have asked sculptors to deliver idols during the night. But, mandals reach the workshops by morning and then carry out a huge procession and we cannot deny them permission as it will be seen as hurting religious sentiments."

Explaining this trend, Naresh Dahibavkar, from Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Samanvay Samiti, said, "Earlier there were more sculptors and fewer mandals, so the idols were made at the makeshift tent (pandal) of the mandal itself. But, over the years, sculptors became fewer, and are mainly located in the southern part of the city. The mandals have to come to the workshops to take their idols home. And, we want to celebrate the fact that the idols is coming home." He added, "The traffic problems are not because of Ganeshotsav, but because of infrastructure work of the Metro rail lines."