Pune: As they prepare for the upcoming festive Ganpati season with the usual gusto, the mandals in the city are expressing anxiety over the possible obstruction to festivities by the ongoing Metro work around the city. After the mandals in the city approached it, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) decided to approach the metro rail corporation to reduce the width of the barricades laid for metro project. 

The decision about the same was taken at a meeting with Ganesh mandals held at the PMC building recently. “Ten days is not a very long duration. As the work of the Metro will be causing traffic issues, the work can be paused for the 10 days of Ganesh festival,” said Anna Thorat of Akhil Mandai Ganesh Mandal.

Madhav Jagtap, Head of PMC’s Anti-Encroachment Department said, “The guidelines for setting up the pandals have been designed and circulated according to the directives given by the courts regarding the same. All the mandals should follow them as required by the court. The size of the pandal should be less than one third the size of the road. They should be careful that it does not become a hazard for traffic.”