HAPPY GANESH CHATURTHI 2022: In light of the upcoming festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, set to begin on August 31, the Maharashtra government has issued traffic guidelines for vehicles, particularly for those commuting on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde has instructed the state officials to establish a distinct lane at the toll plazas on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway for vehicles traveling for the ten-day festival.
Shinde had earlier visited the Khalapur toll plaza and made the decision after discussing it with the officials. On Sunday, a statement from the Chief Minister’s office issued the guidelines stating that the decision was made to manage and improve traffic flow on the busy highway.
The 94.5 km long Mumbai-Pune Expressway is one of India’s busiest highways, handling approximately 60,000 vehicles per day, a figure that rises significantly during the festive season.
Shinde demanded more personnel be deployed on the expressway to prevent traffic congestion during rush hours at toll plazas on the expressway. He also urged the authorities to ramp up the patrolling and CCTV systems to prevent accidents and ensure security throughout the expressway.
“All restrictions on religious festivals imposed during the pandemic have been lifted. People should be able to welcome such festivals with enthusiasm.” Shinde said.
He also explained that a single-window system would be set up to help Ganesh mandals across the state to obtain permissions for pandals and other things necessary for the festival.
“A committee has been set up for finding a solution for Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP). It will come up with some environment-friendly solutions,” Shinde added.
In honour of the Ganesh festival, the Maharashtra government waived tolls on the Mumbai-Bengaluru and Mumbai-Goa highways, as well as toll plazas on other Public Works Department (PWD) roads, from August 27 to September 11. This was intended to provide relief to Ganpati devotees travelling from various parts of the state to the coastal Konkan belt.
The Maharashtra government has lifted all festival restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Limits on the height of the idols of Lord Ganesh which was installed by Sarvajanik (community) mandals and households have also been removed. This year, people are permitted to take part in public festivities and take out processions during Ganeshotsav.
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