Pune: Ganesh Mandals Concerned Over Low Height of New Pedestrian Bridge on JM Road

Shivajinagar, 4th September 2024: A pedestrian bridge has been constructed for the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Garden Metro Station on Jungli Maharaj (JM) Road in Pune. Due to the low height of this pedestrian bridge, Ganesh Mandals have expressed their concerns, stating that it could create an obstacle during the immersion procession.

In response, the Ganesh Mandals have submitted a written statement to Additional Commissioner of Police (West Region) Praveen Kumar Patil.

A new controversy is likely to arise over the height of the metro’s pedestrian bridge. At other locations in Pune, the height of the metro line over the road has been set at 21 feet. However, the pedestrian bridge on JM Road has been constructed with a height of just 17 feet from the road surface. During the Visarjan procession in the Deccan area, many Ganesh Mandals pass through JM Road. The height of the bridge poses a problem given the size of the Ganesh Mandals at the end of the Visarjan.

Yesterday, Ganesh Mandal workers met with Additional CP Patil to voice their concerns. According to a statement from the Ganesh Mandals, the 17-foot height of the pedestrian bridge is likely to cause difficulties for immersion processions and chariots passing through it. Traditionally, chariots used in the Visarjan procession have been 25 to 30 feet high. Due to the low height of the metro bridge at Khanduji Baba Chowk, Ganesh Mandals have already had to reduce the height of their chariots.

The activists had previously protested the height of the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Garden Pedestrian Bridge, which was initially set at 21 feet. However, the metro authorities clarified that the height of the metro bridge could not be increased. As a result, over the past two years, Ganesh Mandals participating in the Visarjan procession have had to lower the height of their chariots. After the Visarjan procession concludes, the processions continue along JM Road. Ganesh Mandals have now expressed their dissatisfaction with the pedestrian bridge height of 17 feet at the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Garden Metro Station.