Traffic snarls mar Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations

Tribune News Service

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Patiala, September 4

The Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations continued today in the city today with the immersion of idols of Lord Ganesha in the Bhakhra canal. To the dismay of city residents, mismanagement and traffic jams marred the celebrations as the idols were taken through the busy Bhupindra Road.

A visit to the canal near Century Enclave showed that the administration had taken little measures to make sure that nothing unfortunate happen at the canal during the festivities. Despite the fact that a police post is adjacent to the spot, only one policeman was seen deputed there, while children were seen swimming freely in the canal.

Despite the fact that the festival has gained popularity in the city in the past few years, senior administrative officials did not conduct any meetings to direct departments and the police to make sure that the arrangements were in place at the canal where devotees assemble to immerse the idols.

Devotees began reaching the canal from 1 pm and the celebrations continued till late in the evening.  In the absence of deployment of sufficient police personnel, devotees nudged each other to make way for themselves and catch the glimpse of the idols.

“I had a narrow escape as two boys who were drunk tried to tease me and in panic my feet slipped. It was due to the intervention of an elderly man that I escaped from drowning,” said Lata, a devotee.

Earlier, the devotees blocked all roads and pavements near the canal. In the afternoon, the roads began experiencing major traffic snarls as vans carrying the idols started moving slowly towards the Sirhind canal. Even an ambulance and a vehicle carrying schoolchildren were caught in a jam as traffic cops fail to do anything for the safe passage of the devotees and the public.

Devotees danced to the beats of drums and songs and threw colours on each other.

As hundreds of trolleys lined up on the roads, commuters faced problems in reaching their destinations in various parts of the city.