Ahead of visarjan, Mumbai orders gathering restrictions and firecracker ban
Mumbai tightened safety measures ahead of Ganpati visarjan after an electrocution at a Kalachowki pandal killed two people, with the Bombay High Court banning firecrackers on public roads and police deploying 23,000 personnel and AI cameras for the immersion.
Mumbai has ordered a 15-day restriction on gatherings of five or more people, effective September 25.
The Bombay High Court has separately banned firecrackers on public roads during festivals.
The measures come ahead of the city’s Ganpati visarjan.
They follow a fatal electrocution at a Ganesh pandal in Kalachowki that killed two people.
Police are deploying 23,000 personnel and AI cameras for the immersion.
The court’s order also called for action to be taken against noise pollution during festival celebrations.
Mumbai Police announced a 15-day restriction on the gathering of five or more people in certain areas, effective September 25.
The restriction is aimed at maintaining law and order during the festival period.
Around 23,000 police personnel are being deployed for the Ganpati immersion.
AI-powered cameras will also be used for security and crowd monitoring during the immersion.
Ganpati visarjan, the immersion of Ganesh idols, is one of Mumbai’s largest annual public events, drawing large crowds to the city’s beaches and water bodies.
Authorities in Mumbai typically ramp up safety measures, including traffic diversions and medical arrangements, in the days around the immersion.
Electrical safety at temporary pandal structures has been a recurring concern flagged by civic authorities in past years.
The Kalachowki area is located in central Mumbai.
Ganpati visarjan processions in Mumbai typically involve thousands of idols being carried to immersion points across the city over several days.
Traffic diversions and additional bandobast arrangements are common in Mumbai during the immersion period each year.
Civic body inspections of pandal structures, including electrical wiring, are typically required before permissions are granted for public pandals.
The Ganesh festival is one of the most widely celebrated public festivals in Maharashtra, drawing participation from across the state.
Emergency medical teams are usually stationed at major immersion points during the festival as a standard precaution.
Ganpati Visarjan procession (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
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