Mumbai all set for a toned-down Ganesh Visarjan

By A Draft Correspondent

With Ganeshutsav coming to a zealous conclusion, Mumbai Traffic Police has geared up to control crowds and traffic during Ganesh Visarjan. In view of the festival, traffic restrictions have been imposed in Mumbai starting 19 September 2021 i.e., Anant Chaturdashi from 12 pm till 6 pm on 20 September 2021. During this period, the traffic police has made arrangements to ensure smooth flow of traffic and for preventing any inconvenience to commuters.

PAST-PERFECT: Families will have to tone down their celebrations this year around (File pic)

Police have been deployed at all immersion spots and patrolling has been beefed up too. Five Traffic Police Control Rooms have been set up at important immersion zones that include Girgaum Chowpatty, Shivaji Park, Juhu Chowpatty, Malad Malvani T-Junction and Ganesh Ghat in Powai. Additionally, watch towers have been erected at strategic places for monitoring and regulating traffic flow and important roads have been barricaded for safety purposes to segregate the crowd going for immersion and those returning after immersion. 

Other security arrangements include stationing of police cranes, BMC cranes and high capacity cranes at strategic locations to handle any emergency situations such as breakdown of vehicles, etc. First-aid centres have been set up too for any medical assistance needed for people coming for the immersion. Arrangements for lighting, swimmers, ambulances, fire brigades, etc. have been made too with the concerned departments. BMC personnel will be stationed at strategic locations and various NGOs will be assisting the traffic police in managing traffic and the crowd.

FLASHBACK: The crowds may be thinner this year, but the spirit will stay as high (File pic)

According to Mumbai Police, anti-sabotage measures, night patrolling and good morning squad operations will be undertaken. 'Extra Manpower is also being deployed in the form of 100 officers and 1,500 men from Local Arms and various other branches, three Company of SRPF, one Company of CRPF, 500 Home Guards and 275 Constables from outside units,' as per the police.

The traffic police has also closed 53 roads for vehicular traffic and 55 roads for one way vehicular movement, banned 18 roads for goods vehicles and placed parking restrictions at 99 places. To ensure the new regulations are strictly implemented and for traffic management, the traffic police has deployed 4,394 traffic police personnel, men and traffic wardens. 

Details of the roads closed:

As per a notification by Mumbai Traffic Police, 21 roads will be closed in South Mumbai. These include: Nathabhai Parekh Marg, Jeenabai Mulji Rathod Marg, V P Road, B J Road, R R Road, C P Tank Road, Sant Sena Marg, Nanubhai Desai Marg, Lamington Road, Girgaum, Sandhurst Road, Hughes Road, Dr B A Road, S S Rao Road, Sane Guruji Marg, 2nd Sutar Galli, 2nd Kumbharwada, Dattaram Lad Marg, Dr. E Borges Road and Jerbai Wadia Road. Another 27 roads will be made one-way and parking restrictions will be implemented at 39 places. All goods vehicles will be banned on Ramchandra Bhatt Marg in Dongri, except those carrying Ganesh idols.

In the Western Suburbs:12 roads will be shut for vehicular traffic like Juhu, Juhu Tara Road, Link Road, Tagore Road, Shamrao Parulekar Marg in Vile Parle and Janardan Mhatre Road, along with Aarey Colony Road, SV Road, MG Road in Kandivali (W), Caesar Road, JP Road, Panch Marg in Andheri (W) and Lokmanya Tilak Marg in Borivali (W). Over 17 roads will be turned one way and 22 will have parking restrictions.

In Central Mumbai: Nine roads are closed, which includes Ranade Road, Shivaji Park Road No. 3 and 4, both bounds of Keluskar Marg, N C Kelkar Marg, M B Raut Marg and Tilak Bridge. Eleven roads will be one-way, while goods vehicles will be banned on 13 roads and 24 parking restrictions will be imposed.

In the Eastern Suburbs: Eleven roads will be shut including Hemu Kalani Marg, Gidwani Marg, Ghatalgaon, LBS Marg in Kurla, Bhattipada Marg, Jangal Mangal Marg, Dumping Road and LBS Marg in Mulund, along with Sarvoday Nagar. Parking restrictions will be imposed at 14 places.

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