Mumbai, Sep 23 The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti on Wednesday appealed to Ganesh mandals in the city to ensure that the immersion processions on the last day of the festival do not cause noise pollution and inconvenience.
The festival will conclude with grand processions on September 25.
In a statement, Samiti (committee) president Naresh Dahibavkar thanked the administration, police, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other authorities for their cooperation throughout the festival.
He urged Ganesh mandals to maintain discipline during the last two days of the festival.
“While bidding farewell to Lord Ganesha, no untoward incident should occur, no one should be inconvenienced and every devotee should return home safely. This is our collective responsibility,” he said.
The committee had taken note of the Bombay High Court’s recent suo motu (on its own) cognisance of noise pollution during the Ganesh festival, Dahibavkar said.
“The court has taken a strict stand on compliance with legally prescribed decibel limits, measurement of noise levels and legal action in case of violations,” he said.
Rather than viewing the court’s directions as binding orders alone, they should be treated as an appeal to protect the prestige of the Ganesh festival and uphold social responsibility, Dahibavkar said.
He appealed to mandals to strictly comply with prescribed noise limits, conditions attached to permissions and all applicable rules during immersion processions.
“Special care should be taken to ensure that senior citizens, small children, patients and other citizens are not inconvenienced by excessive noise,” he said.
He also referred to the High Court’s concern over noise and air pollution caused by firecrackers on public roads and high-volume sound systems used during immersion processions.
Dahibavkar said the festival should be celebrated “with devotion but without indiscipline, with enthusiasm but without excess, with music but without noise pollution”.
(PTI News)
