BNCMC Sets Ganeshotsav Preparations in Motion Across Bhiwandi
The Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation has initiated city-wide civic and traffic preparations for the upcoming Ganeshotsav festival, scheduled to take place from September 14 to 25. The announcement followed a review meeting chaired by Mayor Narayan Ratan Chaudhary in Bhiwandi, held in the presence of Municipal Commissioner Anmol Sagar, Bhiwandi West MLA Mahesh Choughule, and Bhiwandi East MLA Rais Shaikh.
The meeting brought together representatives from the Public Ganeshotsav Federation, municipal departments, police officers, and Torrent Power to discuss civic infrastructure, traffic control, and immersion facilities across the city. Ganeshotsav was accorded the status of a state festival by the Maharashtra government in 2024.
During the discussions, Public Ganesh Mandal Federation president Madan Bhoi raised concerns regarding road conditions, potholes, traffic congestion, unauthorized parking, and the cleaning of immersion ghats. Bhoi urged the civic body to establish a single-window system to simplify the permission process for local Ganesh mandals.
Bhiwandi East MLA Rais Shaikh called for trimming tree branches along immersion routes to ensure large idols can pass without obstruction. Shaikh stressed the need for well-maintained roads, fully operational streetlights at immersion sites, and a dedicated traffic plan prepared by the police. He also requested that municipal staff deployed at immersion sites remain present throughout the entire process, noting that personnel at some locations had previously left early in the day.
Bhiwandi West MLA Mahesh Choughule advised the municipal engineering department to inspect roads and use mastic asphalt to fill potholes, strictly warning against using construction debris or substandard materials. Choughule requested restrictions on heavy vehicles entering market areas between 8 am and 8 pm during festival shopping hours, as well as the installation of CCTV cameras and generator-backed emergency lighting along procession routes and ghats. He also recommended food safety checks to prevent the sale of adulterated sweets.
In response, Municipal Commissioner Anmol Sagar directed ward officers to make the single-window permission system fully operational within two to three days and to immediately remove roadside stalls and unauthorized parking. He instructed the gardens department to trim dangerous tree branches and ordered the electrical department to ensure all streetlights remain functional. Sagar noted that joint inspections of sweet shops are already underway with the Food and Drug Administration.
To promote environmentally friendly celebrations, the civic administration is expanding facilities for artificial immersion ponds. Last year, 709 idols were immersed in artificial ponds across the city. Mayor Chaudhary appealed to residents to choose clay idols and asked Ganesh mandals to deploy volunteers to spread awareness against substance abuse.
