Summary:
Aurangabad: Over 3 ,500 villages, 40 per cent of them in eight districts of drought-prone Marathwada have opted for one village one Ganpati (OVOG) concept. Out of the total number of villages, 3,564 have opted for OVOG.Inspector general of police of Aurangabad range Prakash Mutyal said, “The concept of having OVOG is in sync with the ideology of Balgangadhar Tilak. The concept also mitigates water pollution.“Cleanliness and environmental concerns is the major reason for villagers to opt for OVOG,” said farmer activist Deepak Joshi from Paithan taluka.This year, the region is set to witness over 14,215 Ganesh mandals in eight districts of the region. The move apart from being eco-friendly has also eased police burden.Authorities maintained that the concept eases the work of police in terms of overall monitoring, security, law and order, apart from making things easier for local civic bodies, state electricity board as well as district administration. It barely leaves any scope for miscreants to create any mischief.Moreover, such mandals become a symbol of unity as villagers leave aside their differences to gather daily for paying obeisance and performing puja.Police officers believe that if the concept is implemented across the 8,535 villages of Marathwada, police will not need additional police force..