Gunny sacks to give Ganpati a smooth ride Worried about damage to idols, mandals to use sacks, metal sheets to cover potholes

Gunny sacks to give Ganpati a smooth ride

Worried about damage to idols, mandals to use sacks, metal sheets to cover potholes

It’s certain to be a bumpy ride for Lord Ganesha when mandals start bringing in the idols in the next few days, thanks to the potholes dotting the roads. Hence, the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti has advised its mandals to keep gunny bags, metal strips or anything else they can think of to cover potholes temporarily and ensure balance and a comparatively smooth ride for the idols. During the samiti’s meeting with civic officials on August 8, the panel, representing 10,300 mandals, had said there were 2,340 potholes on roads across the city. The BMC swung into action, but roads have largely remained uneven. Samiti’s chief Naresh Dahibawkar said, “Devotees are sentimental about the idols’ well being. Even a little damage to an idol while travelling can hurt their feelings. That’s why we have been sending out messages to mandals to use such bags.” Mandals whose idols are 18 feet and above in height take great care to ensure that they are welcomed and sent off safely. Of the total mandals, 6,500 are major, and 3,800 are smaller. Among these, 20-22 mandals have idols taller than 18 feet, while 320 have kept the height up to 18 feet. The samiti has been batting for restricting height of idols up to 18 feet, including base. Recalling last year’s festival, Babu Patel, an office-bearer of Shri Balgopal Ganeshotsav Mandal in Grant Road, said, “We used gunny bags and strips of metal to ensure our idol stayed balanced on the trolley and suffered no damage en route to the mandal premises and also during the immersion journey.” He added that though the BMC repaired roads immediately when they complained, rains on Monday and Tuesday have forced them to take precautions again. Civic officials have assured further action. “We have been taking action swiftly. In case of uneven roads, we will look into the grievances,” said G Agarwal, chief engineer, roads department.