Jalna in Darkness Again? Adv. Mahesh Dhannawat Demands Action on Giant Festival Idols and Electrical Safety

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JALNA, October 11, 2026: Advocate Mahesh Dhannawat has called for urgent action on the transport and height of oversized festival idols, alleging that Jalna experienced fresh power disruptions on the first day of Durga Utsav following damage to overhead wires. The precise cause and extent of the reported outage have not yet been independently confirmed.

Warnings before the festivities

Dhannawat says he previously petitioned Maharashtra’s Chief Minister for limits on Ganesh idol heights, citing water conservation and public safety. He alleges that more than 200 idols over 20 feet tall were moved during Ganesh Utsav and that some electrical and cable lines were damaged, interrupting power. Those numbers and incidents await official confirmation.

He says he renewed the request before Durga Utsav, but authorities did not take sufficient preventive steps. He also alleges that damaged cables remain on roads and asks whether the municipal corporation’s warnings about water-wastage fines were effectively enforced.

Advocate Mahesh Dhannawat’s appeal

“Why should citizens repeatedly suffer electricity interruptions, damaged cables and unsafe roads during festivals? I requested the Chief Minister to consider smaller idols to protect water resources and public safety. The Collector, Municipal Commissioner and concerned ministers should explain what preventive measures were taken and why timely decisions were not made. Devotion does not depend on the size of an idol. A clear policy must come before mandals order next year’s idols, not after they have spent money.”
Statement reflecting concerns submitted by Adv. Mahesh Dhannawat

Questions for the Collector and Municipal Commissioner

When were officials informed of El Niño-related forecasts, and what water-conservation planning followed?
What prevented timely consideration of safe idol-height and transportation rules?
What electrical, traffic and crowd-management problems did police record during Ganesh Utsav?
Did officials review reports of deaths or injuries elsewhere in Maharashtra during transportation of oversized idols?
Are damaged cables still lying on Jalna roads, and who is responsible for removing them?
What caused the reported Durga Utsav power disruption, and what is the electricity distributor’s assessment?
How many water-wastage penalties were actually imposed?
Will authorities consult mandals, idol makers, police and electricity officials before orders for next year’s festivals are placed?

A recent warning from Madhya Pradesh

The risks are not hypothetical: on October 9, reports from Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, described four youths suffering burns when a Durga idol being transported touched a high-tension line. The incident highlights why overhead clearance and coordinated procession planning matter. Source: Free Press Journal.

Dhannawat points to practices in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh and asks Maharashtra to examine comparable safety measures. Specific statewide height restrictions in those states have not been independently established for this report.

Faith and safety can coexist

Any future policy should be developed in advance with festival organisers and idol makers and consider overhead wire clearance, road widths, structural stability, emergency access, immersion infrastructure and water availability. An early decision would protect the public while reducing financial uncertainty for mandals placing orders.

The administration, police, electricity utility and concerned ministers are invited to respond. Allegations regarding specific Jalna outages, cable damage and previous representations are attributed to Dhannawat pending independent official verification.