BMC imposes Rs 3.66L fine on Mumbai’s Lalbaugcha Raja mandal for creating potholes on road

Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal has been served with a notice to pay Rs 3.66 lakhs fine for alleged violation of the permission given for the erection of the pandal.

An inspection drive, conducted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on September 5 found that that the stretch of road between Dr Babasaheb Road and TB Kadam Marg has been damaged and as many as 183 potholes were formed owing to the digging of roads and footpaths.

The permission issued by the city’s civic body for erecting makeshift pandals on the occasion of Ganeshotsav mentions that pits cannot be dug on the roads and footpaths.

A penalty of Rs 2,000 per pothole totaling to Rs 3.66 lakh has thus been imposed on the pandal.

During Ganeshotsav, makeshift Ganesh mandals are built each year following the BMC’s permission. But most of the mandals dig pits on roads to build tents. Apart from this it is also observed that paver blocks on the footpath are removed and pits are dug there to erect mandap poles at a few places.