103 Ganpati mandals penalised for violating noise level norms

Ahead of the big visarjan on Sunday, the Mumbai police have taken action against 103 Ganpati mandals across the city for flouting noise levels during the 11-day festival.

On September 14, the Bombay High Court (HC) had refused to relax the regulations banning Dolby sound systems and DJs during Ganeshotsav. This is the first year that the blanket ban is in effect during the festive season in Mumbai. According to the police, members of 103 Ganpati mandals and DJ organisers were charged with violating the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.

Manjunath Shinge, deputy commissioner of police (operations) and spokesperson for Mumbai police, said action was taken against after receiving complaints from residents about noise levels at specific pandals. The police will now file a report on the defaulters and send it to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for further action.

Shinge also said elaborate arrangements had been made for Sunday, which is the final day for immersions. Routes have been chalked out for the processions accompanying idols for visarjan to minimise traffic jams. Fifty-four roads will be closed while 56 roads will be made open to only one-way traffic. There will be 99 ‘no parking’ zones across the city.

The police presence will add up to over 50,000 officers in addition to support from the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), Civil Defence, Home Guards and other agencies. Officials will be on duty at the city’s 162 immersion points where 6,400 sarvajanik idols and over 1.55 lakh household idols will be immersed. Five hundred traffic wardens and 8,000 volunteers from National Cadet Corps, Scout groups and non-governmental organisations will pitch in to assist the police in making way for Ganesh idols.

Two hundred female cops will be in plain clothes, to curb incidents of harassment. The immersion points will also be under the surveillance of 5,000 CCTVs, managed by five control rooms and help centres equipped with first aid and ambulance services. The police will also co-ordinate with other agencies and departments like those of disaster management, fire brigade, coast guard, the navy and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.