With Ganeshotsav 2026 just days away, civic authorities in Mumbai and Kalyan-Dombivli are working to clear pending permissions for public Ganesh pandals. The festival will be celebrated from September 14 to 25.
In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received 2,670 applications from public Ganesh mandals. Of these, 1,239 have been approved, while 479 were identified as duplicate applications. Another 1,052 applications remain pending, leaving several mandals awaiting clearance just days before the festival.
According to BMC officials, 545 applications are pending with the police, while 507 are awaiting traffic police approval. The civic body expects permissions for all eligible mandals to be cleared by the weekend.
While pandal permissions are being processed, the BMC has stepped up preparations for Ganesh idol immersion across the city.
Mayor Ritu Tawde inspected arrangements at major immersion sites, including the Gateway of India, Girgaon Chowpatty, Lotus Jetty in Worli, Dadar, Keluskar Road and Sion Lake.
Officials were directed to keep immersion routes free of obstructions, increase the number of artificial immersion ponds and ensure faster immersion at natural sites during peak hours.
At Girgaon Chowpatty, the mayor called for more mobile toilets, drinking water facilities and lifeguards in view of the expected crowds. She also instructed officials to convert nirmalya collected during immersion into compost.
The BMC will also install prominent information boards at immersion sites, including Swarajya Bhoomi, informing devotees that immersion and other civic facilities are available free of charge.
The civic body has formed 24 ward-level committees comprising civic officials, police representatives and members of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti to coordinate festival arrangements.
Ganesh mandals in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) area are also facing delays. Organisers have reportedly been waiting for NOCs from the police, traffic department and Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).
Applications were submitted through KDMC's single-window system, which coordinates approvals from multiple departments. However, an application cannot receive final clearance until all required NOCs are received.
The delays are causing difficulties for mandals that have already erected structures on public roads, as they cannot complete formal electricity arrangements and other preparations until permission is granted.
With Ganeshotsav approaching, authorities in both Mumbai and Kalyan-Dombivli are under pressure to complete pending clearances and ensure smooth, safe celebrations.
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