Mumbaikars usher in Ganesh amid terror alerts, flu scare
Terror alerts and swine flu scare did not dampen the spirit of Mumbaikars as they welcomed the elephant headed-god with 'aartis' and chants of 'Ganpati bappa morya' amidst intermittent showers as the 10-day Ganeshotsav celebrations began today.
In the backdrop of the 26/11 terror attacks, the 10,349 Ganesh mandals across the city have made elaborate security arrangements during the festival to ensure safety of devotees.
"This is one of the biggest festivals in the backdrop of the November 26 terror attacks. We have elaborate security arrangements in place," Joint Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Himanshu Roy said.
The mandals have installed CCTVs and metal detectors among other modern gadgets besides training their volunteers to deal with any untoward situation.
Police men would be deployed at strategic locations and 50 watch towers have been set up to monitor the crowd, Roy said.
Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads (BDDS) would also be present at large and prominent Ganesh mandals. The organisers have been trained to identify suspicious objects as improvised explosive devices (IED) could be in various forms," the official said.
Keeping the rising cases of swine flu in mind, the BMC has also put up posters and banners on information about the disease and several measures that may help to prevent contracting the virus, Additional Municipal Commissioner Madhav Sangle said.
Some mandals will distribute masks and also have team of doctors on standby.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan brought a Ganesh idol at his official residence 'Varsha' and former Chief Ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde and Manohar Joshi also installed a statue of the deity at their homes.
Several Bollywood and television personalities also celebrated the start of Ganesh chaturthi and welcomed the god into their homes amidst festivities.
According to the civic administration, 40,000 BMC employees and 500 life guards will be deployed across all mandals and beaches respectively. Nearly 44 motor boats and 12 fire brigade boats with fire fighting equipments will be kept at major immersion places.