The meeting was held at Nehru Centre, Worli in which the Joint Commissioner of Police – Traffic (Shri. Sanjay Barve), Deputy Commissioner of Police – Traffic (Shri. Solunke) and all the senior most officers of Traffic department, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Shri. Kshirsagar) and other representatives from other arms of the Government like like the Indian Army, Life Guards, Brihan-Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai Fire Brigade, etc and major Ganpati Utsav Mandals of Mumbai city (one of them being Lalbaug Cha Raja) had participated.
The meeting was basically organized for streamlining the co-ordination between all these forces before the start of the world's largest festival (footfall wise) i.e. Ganesh Utsav and also understand the commitment of number of forces allotted by each of these forces for management of this festival.
The biggest and the most proud aspect of this meeting for Aniruddha's Academy of Disaster Management was to understand the fact that our Academy is the highest contributor in terms of forces for managing this festival. [This year we have committed 4, 000 forces (volunteers, which are called as DMVs or Disaster Management Volunteers)].
*** Background of This Preparatory Exercise ***
This festival last year (in 2009) had recorded the immersion of total 1, 87, 507 idols of Lord Ganesh (domestic and public) across the period of 11 days of the festival. This year the government authorities expect another 4 - 5 % rise in this figure. It is also observed over the years that on the day of Anant Chaturdashi more than 15 lakh people congregate at Girgaum Chowpatty in the evening (This can be equated with the population of few European countries).
It is also observed that Consul Generals and Envoys of almost 45 foreign countries attend the Immersion ceremony at Girgaum Chowpatty and hence the government intends to use this festival to project Mumbai and this festival on the globally platform to attract tourism, enhance Mumbai’s i.e. ultimately India’s image globally and showcase the discipline in the Indian masses that is displayed by them even when such large number of people congregate at a single spot which is a fact that has been acknowledged and appreciated by all the foreign Consul Generals and Envoys who visit this festival.
Following are the details that were shared during the meeting by Mumbai Police and BMC respectively:
1) Preparation by Mumbai Police
a) Control Rooms would be setup at 7 places across the city which includes prime spots like Girgaum Chowpatty, Bandra (Bada Masjid), Shivaji Park Chowpatty, etc.
b) The newly bought Sealegs and Amphibious Vehicles would be deployed for the security of the immersion ceremony from the side of sea.
c) Life Guards from various NGOs and Indian Navy would be deployed at all the immersion spots.
d) Motorboats would be put on duty at major immersion spots.
e) Online Request Management System would be launched for all the Ganpati Mandals in the city so that they can file their permission requests for erecting festival tents, stalls and hoardings online.
f) For Ganpati mandals who would want to apply for permission physically would have to download the permission requisition forms from Mumbai Police’s website.
g) Police would regulate the roads in the city on the days of immersion. Under this exercise 24 roads would be completely closed for traffic, 47 would be allowed one-way entry, 10 roads would be closed for heavy vehicles and parking would not be permitted on 40 roads.
h) All the traditional Ganpati mandals (which have completed 5 years of existence) would be given police permission without verification in-case the tents are to be constructed on same place and have area as previous years.
2) Preparation by Brihan-Mumbai Municipal Corporation
a) There are 88 spots that are marked for immersion ceremony.
b) Steel plates are to be laid on all the chowpatties which have sandy or soft surface so that movement of trolleys carrying Lord’s idol is made easy and the incidences of they getting stuck in sand is avoided.
c) First-Aid Counters and Ambulances would be kept ready at all the immersion spots.
d) Mobile Toilets would be deployed so that the surroundings are kept clean and the waste collection and disposal is done in hygienic manner.
e) Big Nirmalya Pots (Kalashs) would be erected at all the immersion spots. Compost manure would be produced from all the nirmalya (residue of flowers and other items offered to Lord) collected in these pots. The BMC has created special facilities for carrying composting of this nirmalya. This compost would then be used in Municipal gardens as manures of trees and plants.
f) Flood Lights and Search Lights would be installed at all the immersion spots for ease in research and rescue.
g) Watch Towers would be erected at all the immersion spots for ease in research and rescue and also for keeping vigilance.
h) New Twats of German Technology have been imported by the BMC from Germany, so that mass immersion of Lord’s idols can be carried out.
i) BMC would be deploying close to 500 - 600 engineers and another 600 personnel for making the festival safe and successful.
