Mumbai: Even as hundreds of devotees and revellers of various mandals gear up for Ganpati celebrations, the Brihanmumbai municipal corporation (BMC) on Thursday evening had given permission to only 935 applications of the 2,000-odd that it received.
According to the data given by the civic body, 911 mandals were still to get its permission.
In a bid to take Bappa home, devotees were seen carrying Ganpati idols taxis.
Around 18 mandals are lagging permissions as the pandals are erected on collector’s land. Also, 100 applications from the Andheri (east) was rejected as of August 24.
“We have advised all the mandals to keep their documents ready which fulfils the norms laid by the civic body in 2015. They can keep the pandals ready. We have told them to ensure that no traffic congestion should be caused due to their pandals. All the applied mandals will get permission but only after proper scrutiny,” said Naresh Dahibhawkar, president of Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS).
Dadar market was abuzz on Thursday with people engaging in last minute shopping for the auspicious Ganpati festival.
Following a Bombay high court order, the BMC made approvals from fire, traffic and police department mandatory.
In order to ease the approval system, a ‘single window clearance’ was introduced.
However the mandals allege that the ward level civic officers have little coordination with the traffic and other departments.
