The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to make fitness certificates mandatory for large Ganesh idols weighing more than one tonne, following the deaths of two people in an accident involving a Ganesh idol in Mumbai's Bhuleshwar area.
The civic body's decision is aimed at strengthening safety measures during the transportation and arrival of heavy idols for Ganeshotsav, NDTV reported.
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Under the measures, detailed information about a large idol will be recorded throughout the process, from the time it is ordered and manufactured until it reaches the designated pandal.
NDTV reported that the BMC also plans to maintain special monitoring of heavy idols during their transportation and arrival to reduce the possibility of accidents.
A meeting was held in order to formulate a dedicated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) covering the safety, certification and transportation of large Ganesh idols. The meeting was chaired by DMC Zone 2 official Prashant Sapkale.
The rules are expected to cover aspects including structural safety of idols, fitness certificates and arrangements for their transportation.
The move follows the Bhuleshwar incident in which a large Ganesh idol reportedly collapsed during its arrival procession, resulting in two fatalities and multiple injuries.
BMC Additional Commissioner Abhijit Bangar has also directed the Roads Department and ward-level officials to ensure that routes used for the arrival and immersion of Ganesh idols are free of potholes, NDTV reported.
The instruction is intended to improve road safety during the movement of large and heavy idols across Mumbai during Ganeshotsav.
The BMC's certification and monitoring system are expected to provide greater oversight of heavy idols from their construction stage through transportation and eventual arrival at pandals.
The civic body's new safety measures come ahead of Ganeshotsav, when thousands of idols are transported across Mumbai, including several large and heavy installations.
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