TMC Delays Mandap Permits for 192 Dahi Handi and Ganeshotsav Groups in Thane

Administrative backlogs at the Thane Municipal Corporation have left 192 applications for festival pavilion permits pending across Thane, leaving local organizers struggling to finalize preparations for Dahi Handi and Ganeshotsav.

According to official data released by the civic body on September 1, 2026, the delays affect festive committees across all 10 ward committees in the city, including Majiwada-Manpada, Lokmanya Nagar-Savarkar Nagar, Vagle Ward, and Diva. With Dahi Handi only three days away, organizers are facing hurdles in setting up infrastructure and securing basic safety clearances.

For Dahi Handi, the civic administration cleared only 28 of the 55 applications submitted across the city's 10 ward committees. A heavy reliance on offline submissions contributed to the delays, with 50 applications filed manually in person and just five submitted via the civic body's online portal.

Ganeshotsav organizers face an even steeper backlog. Out of 174 applications submitted through August 31, consisting of 111 online and 63 offline requests, the municipal corporation granted permission to only nine groups. This left 165 Ganeshotsav applications unresolved.

Ward-level clearance numbers show sharp disparities throughout the municipality. In Majiwada-Manpada, which recorded the highest number of Ganeshotsav applications at 33 (13 online and 20 offline), the civic body did not clear a single permit. Lokmanya Nagar-Savarkar Nagar recorded an identical situation, with zero approvals granted out of 24 applications. In Vagle Ward, six out of 10 Dahi Handi applications received approval, while Diva received zero clearances despite submissions.

Local festival organizers raised serious concerns over the pending approvals, noting that the shortened timeline hampers stage construction, temporary power setups, and local traffic coordination.

"With Dahi Handi just days away and Ganeshotsav approaching, our preparation timeline is severely compromised," said a representative from a local public festival committee in Thane. "We have submitted all required documentation, yet we are left waiting for clearances. Without official mandap permits, we cannot finalise stage setup, arrange temporary electricity connections, or coordinate local traffic management safely."

A senior civic official from the Thane Municipal Corporation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated that mandatory site safety inspections and traffic clearance checks were actively underway.

"While safety audits and site inspections naturally take time, we are working round the clock to clear all compliant pending files as quickly as possible to ensure celebrations proceed without disruption," the official said.