Digging roads, obstructing traffic in the name of God in Pune

Even as the 10-day Ganeshotsav has begun with traditional fervour, the annual feature of large mandals digging up roads and obstructing traffic continues to persist. However, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) authorities seem to be unperturbed by it.

The problem is severe on the busy peth areas. The Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganpati Mandal has used up to 50% of an already narrow road connecting Faraskhana police station and Appa Balwant Chowk, thereby causing inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists.

Swati Kaname, a student who stays near the Jogeshwari Mandal said, “The Jogeshwari Ganpati Mandal has taken a large part of the main road. You move a little further towards Appa Balwant Chowk and there is another mandal obstructing the road. Even the Poona Bakery lane which leads to Jogeshwari Mandir has several mandals which add to the traffic chaos.”

Sagarika Chavhan, a homemaker residing on Laxmi Road said, “The Dagdusheth Trust makes huge sets every year and it attracts a lot of people. However, the everyday routine is disturbed.”
The Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganpati Mandal treasurer, Prasad Kulkarni said, “We requested for a 50-foot-long and 17-foot-wide pandal and have used only that much space after getting permission.”

The popular Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Mandir Trust has also occupied a large section of the busy Mandai Road to set up their large Ramakrishna Math facade. The other large mandal in the vicinity, the Hutatma Babu Genu Mandal, has dug up the roads this year to support their large pandal.

Speaking to DNA, Babu Genu Mandal member, Mahesh Dave said, “Our set is very big and, in order to allow it to stand firm, we had to dig up the roads this year.”

Likewise, the Lokhande Talim Mitra Mandal located opposite Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya (NMV) School in Budhwar Peth and the Bal Vikas Mitra Mandal in Shaniwar Peth have also dug up the municipal roads to accommodate their pandals.

However, PMC’s Kasba Peth ward officer Sunil Kesari did not seem to be perturbed by the cases of digging and traffic chaos.

“We do not permit mandals to construct pandals unless they produce a no-objection certificate from the traffic department of the Pune police. Most mandals also take the responsibility to cover up the holes they dig to erect pandals. The Seva Mitra Mandal helps smaller mandals repair the roads after the festival,” Kesari said.

However, the police admitted that they needed to resort to traffic diversions to handle the traffic congestion caused by pandals.

Senior inspector Anant Rajeshirke of Faraskhana police station said, “As the crowd increase, we divert the traffic from main roads to peripheral lanes. For instance, the Swargate Chowk traffic will be diverted to the Shastri Road.’’