MUMBAI: BMC on Friday launched its online single-window system for facilitating permissions to he issued to Ganeshotsav mandals and obtain no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the local and traffic police through a computerised process.Ganeshotsav will be celebrated on September 14 this year.The civic system will remain operational from August 14 to September 13. Pandal permissions for Ganeshotsav will be valid till September 26.Mandals can apply through the BMC website under the “For Citizens – Pandal (Public Ganeshotsav/Navratri Festival/Other Festivals)” facility. Applications will first be scrutinised by the concerned ward office, after which NOCs from the local police and traffic police will be obtained online.For new mandals seeking permission for the first time on public or private land, the application will subsequently be placed before the zonal deputy commissioner for approval. Once approved, the mandal will have to pay a Rs 100 fee, following which the ward office will issue the permission.The civic body has also provided an online renewal facility for mandals that already have five-year permissions. Their sites will be physically verified by the ward office to ensure that the location and area match the approved permission before police and traffic NOCs are obtained.Mandals that had obtained only a one-year permission in 2025 have been given the option of applying either for a one-year permission for 2026 or a five-year permission for 2026-30.The BMC has also made participation in a one-day training programme mandatory for two volunteers from every public Ganeshotsav mandal. The training will cover crowd management, fire safety and first aid, among other issues.Meanwhile, the civic body has reiterated that mandals must not dig holes on roads or footpaths to erect pandals. It has urged organisers to adopt techniques that allow pandals to be erected without excavation. Action will be taken against those found digging roads or footpaths for pandal construction.Mandals will also have to comply with fire-safety requirements, licensing and advertising regulations, as well as health-related directives issued by the government to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.For public Navratri celebrations, applications for pandal permissions can be submitted from September 10 to October 10, with permissions valid till October 21.
