Pune: Commuters have demanded that pandals, arches and chariot vehicles used for Ganeshotsav decorations be removed right away, now that the festival is over, and space be cleared for vehicles and pedestrians.On Monday, movement in core Pune city areas was slow. It was both because of increased traffic post festival and pandals and parked chariots eating into the carriageway, said citizens.Ashok Hire was stuck in a traffic snarl on Tilak Road on Monday morning. He said pandals on the roads and near the main junctions should be removed on priority as is done by mandals every year. He also highlighted the fact that barricades used especially during immersion had not been fully removed.Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had issued guidelines ahead of the festival directing mandals to clear roads within three days of the immersion. Pune city saw 3,500 Ganesh mandals erect pandals to celebrate Ganapati.Narayan Peth resident Sanjay Sable said PMC should ensure vehicles, chariots and decoration are not dumped and forgotten on footpaths. “PMC and mandals must restore roads and repair the spots dug for pandals. This is urgent because the condition of roads has already deteriorated owing to continuous rain,” he added.Mandals have started to remove pandals and said they would clear carriageways in the next few days. A mandal in Nana Peth removed the installation within seven hours of immersion.Civic officials said they would conduct inspections over the coming days to ensure things are back to normal. “We will direct ward offices to check the status in their areas. We will work jointly with the traffic police,” they added.Meanwhile, residents of Pimpri Chinchwad have also urged the civic body and police to clear pandals and stages erected on roads since it is obstructing vehicular and pedestrian movement. Amol Shinde, a resident of Indrayaninagar in Bhosari, has written to Pimpri Chinchwad municipal commissioner and police and sought immediate action against mandals which have failed to dismantle pandals and stages despite permissions being temporary. “Mandals were given temporary permissions to install pandals and other decorations during the festival, however, many structures have still not been removed. These unauthorised setups are blocking roads and footpaths, causing inconvenience to citizens. It is hampering movement of emergency vehicles like ambulances too,” he added.## Box:# What citizens want:# Clear key roads, junctions on priority# Remove arches occupying the footpaths, parking areas# Demolish pandals on priority# Reset traffic signals
