Police commissioner Satyapal Singh has set a time-limit of 20 hours for ending the Ganesh immersion procession this year. Also, to make the Ganesh mandals move fast during the immersion procession, the police have decided to appoint liaison officers for about 250 Ganesh mandals that follow the procession routes on Laxmi Road and Tilak Road. The liaison officers would co-ordinate with the Ganesh mandal activists and keep them moving fast on the procession route.

The police on Monday had called a meeting of 17 major Ganesh including the five Ganapatis of honour and Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati that take out their immersion processions on Laxmi Road and Tilak Road.

The meeting, however, received poor response, as decision makers of most of these Ganesh mandals remained absent.

Singh appealed to the Ganesh mandals saying, “Last year, the procession went on for 28 hours. This year the police and Ganesh mandals should work in co-ordination for ending the immersion procession within 20 hours.”

Singh further said that security is an important issue during the Ganesh Festival. “There are inputs of terrorist attacks in the country. So it is important to end the Ganapati immersion procession as early as possible,” he added.

Singh also appealed the Ganesh mandals to instruct all their activists to avoid consuming liquor during the immersion procession. “The procession goes on for a long time because of those who dance on the procession route in the influence of alcohol,” he said.

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