Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: BMC promotes low-key festivities, urges for 'one ward-one Ganpati'

Ahead of the highly-anticipated yearly celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi, the BMC has appealed for 'one ward-one Ganpati' in order to tamp down celebrations. This comes as Mumbai continues to be the worst COVId-19 affected cities in India having topped the 100,000 mark on Saturday.

BMC has urged mandals in Andheri (West) to organise only 13 community Ganpati celebrations this year, one for each electoral. As per sources, BMC has received around150 applications from areas within its jurisdiction to erect Ganesh pandals or set up stages on roads and footpaths for the 11-day festival.

Furthermore, an official said that this is a pilot project, and depending on the success, BMC can plan to adopt this across Mumbai. 

READ: Mumbai: Leading mandal postpones Ganpati festival celebration

CM Uddhav's appeal for Ganesh Chaturthi

Last month, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called for a simple and low-key Ganpati festival celebration this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked Ganesh mandals to undertake social welfare programmes. CM Thackeray said the threat of Coronavirus is not yet over and therefore, it will not be possible to celebrate the Ganesh festival with the usual pomp and gaiety. He said there should be no crowding or processions during the festival.

The 10-day festival begins on 'Ganesh Chaturthi', which falls on August 22 this year. Ganeshotsav is the most popular festival in Maharashtra. The pandals set up by various mandals in Mumbai and other places in the state attract thousands of devotees during the 10-day festivities.

READ: Mumbai's iconic Lalbaugcha Raja to eschew Ganpati idol; announces blood & plasma donation

Maharashtra crosses 3 lakh cases

Maharashtra crossed three lakh Coronavirus cases after a record 8,348 people were diagnosed with the disease in the last 24 hours.  The tally of confirmed cases now stands at 3,00,937. The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 11,596 after 144 patients succumbed to the illness in the last 24 hours.

In a positive development, the state saw a record 5306 patients recover from the respiratory illness caused by the novel Coronavirus in the same period, thereby taking its tally to 1,65,663. As of July 18, there are 1,23,377 active cases in Maharashtra. 

READ: Home made Ganpati decorations which will save a huge amount of money

READ: Maha CM holds video conference with Ganpati mandals, calls for low-key celebrations