UNPRECEDENTED ARRANGEMENTS, POWER SUPPLY FOR LORD GANESHA!

Mumbai: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Chief Iqbal Singh Chahal has ordered unprecedented civic preparedness for all 10 days of visarjan during this Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai city putting all ward officers on guard. Chahal’s diktat to every ward officer is to ensure not a single pot hole impedes any processions for Lord Ganesha visarjan on any of the roads in Mumbai city on pain of swift and detrimental action against the concerned ward chieftain. Confirming this the Mumbai civic Chief said, “Even if a single pot hole is found along any of the immersion routes for visarjan the ward officer in whose jurisdiction the road falls will be held responsible for the same. Following the issuance of the directive over 20,000 potholes on Mumbai’s roads were filled up in just the last few days.”

The BMC boss has, for the first time in Mumbai’s history, also taken up the onus to provide all lighting (electricity supply) arrangements at visarjan sites all over Mumbai city upon himself. Considering the fact that the civic administered Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport undertaking (BEST) has never undertaken electricity supply arrangements beyond the island city region of greater Mumbai (from Mahim up to south Mumbai along the north-south corridor), this will be a first in terms of the massive effort by the civic electricity utility. Thus far, private power companies Tata Power Corporation (TPC) and Adani Power have handled the electricity requirements of consumers in the suburban regions from Mahim right up to Dahisar (in the western suburbs) and Thane (eastern suburbs) of Mumbai’s northern belts. Add to this the increased number of visarjan sites numbering 175 artificial ponds, (distinct from the seashores along Mumbai’s coastline), 35 coastal immersion sites and the total responsibility of electric supply for lighting and additional services to ensure the seamless send off for Lord Ganesha and the civic challenge entailed will be no mean feat. A senior BMC official said, “This year’s arrangements for the Ganesh Chaturthi arrangements have particularly impressed Mumbai city’s police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and evoked a pleasant twitter message from him complementing his BMC counterpart Dr IS Chahal for arrangements being made by the civic body to complement the Mumbai police in facilitating a secure, safe and happy Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai.”