Mangaluru: As the city prepares for the upcoming Ganesha Chaturthi and Eid Milad festivals, Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal has urged residents to celebrate the events peacefully and in strict adherence to the issued guidelines. Ganesha Chaturthi will be celebrated from September 6 to 17, with idols being installed at 165 locations within the Mangaluru police commissionerate limits. Eid Milad will be observed on September 15 and 16.
The celebrations will involve processions across areas classified as hypersensitive, sensitive, and normal, with 22 hypersensitive zones, 64 sensitive zones, and 79 normal zones identified within the city.
A peace meeting was convened on Monday, during which Commissioner Agrawal emphasized that organizers must obtain necessary permissions from various authorities, including Mescom, fire and emergency services, local bodies, and landowners where the idols are to be installed.
Organizers have been instructed to construct pandals with precautions against wind, rain, and fire hazards. Fire-fighting equipment such as sand, water buckets, and fire extinguishers must be readily available. The commissioner also advised against placing inflammable materials near lamps inside the Ganesha mantapas.
Organizers are required to provide local police with details of the main guests, including their contact information. Permissions from local bodies are mandatory for displaying flexes and banners, which must not contain any provocative content. Furthermore, all tableaux and dance performances should be conducted in a manner that respects all religious sentiments.
The use of firecrackers has been prohibited near hospitals and densely populated areas after 10 PM.
For idol immersion processions, permission from the police is required, and organizers must follow designated routes. The police have directed that no provocative slogans be used during the processions, and that vehicles used for tableaux must have valid fitness certificates and insurance. Volunteers participating in the processions are to wear matching uniforms and ensure that no vehicles are parked along the procession routes. Additionally, permission is required for the use of sound systems, which must adhere to the prescribed time limits. The use of DJs has been strictly prohibited.
Commissioner Agrawal stated that these measures are essential to ensure a harmonious celebration, and religious leaders have been briefed on the guidelines to promote communal harmony.
In the Dakshina Kannada district, Ganesha idols will be installed at 221 locations, with eight sites in hypersensitive areas, 53 in sensitive areas, and 160 in normal areas.
