Visakhapatnam Commissioner of Police, Shankabratha Bagchi launching the website for obtaining permissions to set up Ganesh pandals in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: V. RAJU
With Ganesh Chaturthi around the corner, Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Shankabratha Bagchi on Saturday mandated prior permission for setting up Ganesh pandals in the city. The organisers have been directed to apply for permission through a single-window online permission system (https://ganeshutsav.net).Addressing a press conference at the police conference hall, Mr. Bagchi said that the Ganesh utsav committees are supposed to furnish complete details of the proposed celebrations, including the name of the organising committee, contact numbers, exact location of the pandal, duration for which it will be installed, programmes planned, expected number of devotees, electrical and fire-safety arrangements, CCTV facilities, sound systems and immersion details. Following this, various departments will conduct a thorough examination and provide clearance."The organisers must clearly mention the date of installation of the idol, the number of days for which the pandal will remain in place, the date and time of immersion, the proposed procession route and the immersion point in their applications. They must also inform the jurisdictional police station about the exact location before installing the idol,” he said.QR codeThe CP said that every pandal will be given a QR code and the police beat and night-patrolling teams can inspect the pandal details through the code. Violators will be brought to the notice of the respective Station House Officer (SHO) or supervisory officer, he said, adding that the pandals cannot be erected at unauthorised locations and obstruct vehicular or pedestrian movements.Pandal organisers expecting large crowds have been asked to make proper arrangements for entry and exit and provide parking facilities wherever necessary. They should also extend full cooperation to the police in traffic regulation, barricading, crowd management and diversions. "Adequate lighting should be provided inside and around the pandal, particularly at entry and exit points and during night hours. Functional fire extinguishers, adequate quantities of water and sand should be kept readily available for emergencies. Emergency exit and entry routes should remain unobstructed at all times,” Mr. Bagchi said.Speaking about the immersion process, the CP said that organisers must furnish details of the immersion date and time, procession route, immersion point, expected number of devotees and vehicles to the jurisdictional police station or concerned subdivision well in advance.Based on the information provided, the police will make necessary arrangements for security, traffic regulation, route management and crowd control, he said. Published - September 05, 2026 08:05 pm IST
