The city police's efforts to enforce the deadline on loudspeakers during the immersion process failed on Tuesdaywith many mandal having their loudspeakers and musical instruments on at full blast.
City police officials said, "We requested the mandals to abide by the deadline. We do not want to disturb the procession ceremony and hence we are recording it. Cases will be filed accordingly.'
The special police squad (`dhakka' squad) formed to ensure speedy movement of the Ganesh mandals on Laxmi Road from Belbaug chowk to Alka theatere chowk also failed to execute its duty. The procession on the road began at 10.30 am and by 5.30 pm, only 19 Ganapati mandals had passed Belbaug chowk.
The mandals continued to move at a snail's pace and in the hour between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm, not a single mandal had passed Belbaug chowk. By 12.30 am, the count was 39 mandals.
The famous Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati started its procession at 2.30 am on Wednesday after the Akhil Mandai Ganapati. Around 160 mandals used Laxmi road.
Source: The Times of India, 27th Sep,2007
