Three months before the Ganesh festivities, residents of Kandivli’s Lokhandwala noticed disruptions in their walkways. Stalls making Ganpati idols had sprung up on the footpaths around the main Lokhandwala circle, making it difficult to walk. The presence of hawkers further compounded the problem.
Unlike the community Ganesh pandals, which appear only a month before the festival and are confined to specific locations, these stalls are numerous and have been permitted to remain until the end of the Navratri festival in October, spanning almost four months.
Read more: Soaring noise levels during Ganesh festival underlines the need for citizen action
With the new stalls coming up on the footpaths on one side of the road, the hawkers have shifted to the other side. The result — both sides of the road are now blocked with only a small stretch in between left for cars to navigate. “It is difficult to drive, especially during school hours when children walk leisurely, making the streets precarious for them. Why aren’t such factors considered when issuing long-term permissions for Ganpati idol-making stalls?” a resident said on condition of anonymity.
Inconvenience to commuters and pedestrians
Pinki Pachouly, a resident of Lokhandwala feels that the official policy of permitting stalls for Ganesh idol makers could be better implemented. “While idol stalls are necessary for devotees, they should be placed in unused spaces rather than main junctions, where they inconvenience school children. There should also be a limit on the number of permitted stalls. Citizen convenience should be a priority, as those who need to buy idols can walk the distance.”
This year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has permitted 715 Ganpati idol makers to set up stalls all across Mumbai, to make clay or eco-friendly Ganesh idols, according to a BMC public relations official. These stalls have been allocated on roadsides, private lands and even on footpaths.
The online call for permissions opened in May, and approvals began coming in around June-July after obtaining the necessary no-objection certificates (NOCs) from local traffic and police authorities. These stalls are allowed to operate free of cost, without any deposit, from June-July until the end of Durga Puja, specifically Dussehra, in October, spanning nearly four months.
Ganpati idols: How does BMC facilitate online permissions?
Starting last year, the BMC has introduced a single-window permission system for idol makers or murtikars, as they are known, to apply online on the BMC website (mcgm.gov.in) for permissions. The BMC now obtains the NOCs from local fire, police and traffic departments on their own and permits stalls only if all these department provide clearances. Of the 1,237 applications received online, only 715 were approved, the BMC’s public relations official said.
“The stalls are permitted by the local ward officials only on those stretches of roads, where traffic flow would not be affected. The local ward officials regularly monitor these stalls and ensure that they cause least inconvenience to local residents,” said a BMC official, who is part of the core team set up
to look into community Ganesh festivities.
What are the documents needed for such stalls?
Permissions are granted on a first-come-first-served basis for those applying online on the BMC website, as per availability of spaces on a particular stretch. However, a Ganesh idol maker can get a maximum area of 100 sq metres. Or two of them could be squeezed into one owing to paucity of space, as per the guidelines mentioned on the BMC site. “If space is not available, then the idol maker could be accommodated in the same zonal region by the BMC,” states a note on the BMC website.
A self-declared undertaking from the stall owner must be submitted affirming that he is a sculptor, along with another undertaking agreeing to follow all safety norms as per the Maharashtra Fire Prevention & Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, and guidelines from agencies like the Central Pollution Control Board. They must also provide details about the number and height of the idols they will be sculpting in their stalls.
The undertaking indemnifies the civic authority from any actions, acts, costs, claims, damages, and demands of any nature. The undertaking also mentions that they could risk losing the permissions in case of violations of the prescribed norms.
Priority is given to sculptors who have obtained such permissions for the last three years, which also have to be submitted with the application. Till a few years ago, a letter from the Brihanmumbai Ganesh Murtikar Sangh (BGMS), was a requisite but not anymore, resulting in a flood of entries for stalls.
“Earlier, only idol makers would get such permissions, but with the provision being eased, many applicants, who merely deal in idols have entered the fray,” admitted an idol maker.
Stalls set up months ahead of festival
Rajan Zad, a third-generation idol maker and treasurer of the BGMS justifies the long duration for idol-making stalls saying: “Shortage of spaces for making idols is a huge issue particularly in a place like Mumbai. To meet the huge demand for idols, the BMC supports us by providing space wherever possible. They ensure that citizens are not inconvenienced.”
He explained that while a few months may seem long, the drying process for idols can be lengthy. “Unlike Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols that dry quickly, clay or eco-friendly idols made from materials like newspapers take almost eight days to dry. Only after this can the colouring and detailing begin, which involves additional rounds of drying.”
Overall, a clay idol takes about 2.5 months to make, including a month just for painting with water-based colours. “In fact, we have been urging the BMC to grant us space from February onwards so we can take advantage of the summer heat for drying,” said Zad.
Gaps in execution
Though the official BMC permission is meant for idol makers solely for making eco-friendly idols, most of them flout the rules. Most stalls sell readymade idols including that of PoP and there is hardly any sign of idol-making in these stalls.
“Though there are units that do sell idols procured from outside Mumbai, there is no way to check on them or take action. Most of them are ignored,” admits an idol maker. In fact, an idol maker said that prime locations are offered to those, who grease the palms of civic officials and the genuine idol makers miss out on prime spots for these stalls.
Read more: Bappa Moraya: City wants to celebrate, BMC gears for Ganesh festival
“This policy of granting space to idol makers began in 2010, with the BMC providing stalls at the same locations each year. However, this unwritten rule is no longer respected. Previously, we had to convince officials that our stalls would not obstruct traffic and obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from local traffic, fire, and police authorities. With the letter from our idol-makers association no longer mandatory, the number of applicants for stalls has increased.,” says Dhanaji Thakur, an idol maker, who has been putting up a stall at Kandivli for over two decades.
Policy hurts pedestrians
Rishi Aggrawal, convenor of The Walking Project, says that many Ganpati idol makers have set up stalls on the footpaths of Vaikuntlal Mehta Road, which connects Nanavati to Juhu Centaur, with numerous pandals selling Ganesh idols.
“This stretch has huge pedestrian traffic due to the presence of educational institutions nearby and restricting pedestrian pathways could endanger their lives. Such stalls also attract buyers, who block further space. This pushes pedestrians towards the carriageway, thus endangering their lives. Unlike individual hawkers that allow permeable walking spaces, such stalls block the entire footpath for months together and are non-permeable,” says Rishi.
According to him, footpaths, especially on important arterial roads, should be kept free for walking and that should be sacrosanct and non-negotiable. The state could consider internal roads for such allocations though.
Where can citizens complain?
Idol makers are supposed to give an undertaking that if they indulge in any unauthorised extensions beyond the permissible limits, then the BMC can suspend or revoke the permission. Also, providing
false information in the undertaking makes them liable for civil as well as criminal, legal action.
Complaints about illegal stalls (that may have sprung up without BMC permission) or extensions, may be lodged with the local ward office or here: mcgm.gov.in/irj/portal/anonymous/qlcomplaintreg. Residents may also call the BMC helpline 1916.
What is the way out of this ?
- Considering the genuine demand for Ganesh idols, the BMC could allocate stalls at distant, unused spaces or on internal roads.
- Care should be taken to ensure that pedestrian movement, and not just vehicular traffic flow, is factored in while granting permissions for stalls.
- Hawkers, a reality on Mumbai’s streets, should also be considered while allocating Ganesh idol-making stalls.
- Stalls must not be allowed for months together on footpaths.
- There should be a limit on the number of stalls allowed on a particular stretch of road or area.