Get set for Bappa’s big, fat farewell

Even as Mumbaikars gear up to bid adieu to their favourite god Lord Ganesha, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday claimed that it is all geared up for a peaceful visarjan.

Claiming complete readiness, mayor Sunil Prabhu and municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte, appealed residents to carry it the immersion procession in a peaceful manner. Visarjans, they appealed, be carried out at artificial ponds mostly. BMC officials said Governor K Sankarnarayanan, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and consul generals from around 70 countries, besides Prabhu and Kunte, will offer prayers to the deity between 6pm and 8pm at Girgaum Chowpatty.

“In order to see that the processions are done in a peaceful manner, the Mumbai police, MMRDA, MSEDCL, BEST, Ganesh mandals and city NGO’s will co-ordinate with us. We will have around 7,000 of our men, including 1,000 officials, on their toes across all wards on Saturday,” a senior civic official said.
Apart from civic personnel, 25,000 policemen will keep an eye on the proceedings, the official added. As reported in DNA on September 24, cops have been carrying out walking patrolling too as part of security arrangements this year following instructions from police commissioner Satyapal Singh.

Moreover, cops will have the Netra, the unmanned aerial vehicle, keeping an eye on the procession, policemen informed. Netra was earlier used by cops to monitor happenings during a massive rally held by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray in August this year to protest August 11 Azad Maidan violence. While complaints about poor condition of roads remain, officials said, road repairs were undertaken at war footing in the run up to the festival and during the festival too.