A 28-year-old youth was killed in the powerloom town of Bhiwandi, while 66 others were injured in various untoward incidents that marred the otherwise colourful "Dahi-handi" celebrations in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane District.
Despite precautions taken by the event organisers at most of the places across the metropolis and satellite towns, a reveller identified as one Ganesh Anant Patil died when a huge pole to which he was tying the "Dahi-handi" (a pot containing a mixture of milk, curd, dry fruits and prize money) to one of the branches of a tree collapsed on him at Bhiwandi in Thane District.
Married just two years ago, Ganesh Patil is survived by his wife and six-month-old child.
On a day when teams of "Govindas" enthusiastically formed human pyramids to across the city to break the "Dahi-handis" (a pot containing a mixture of milk, curd, dry fruits and prize money), 58 revellers were injured in various parts of the metropolis in "Dahi-handi"- related incidents. In the neighbouring Thane, at least eight revellers were injured in similar incidents.
Of the injured, 18 were admitted to admitted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run KEM Hospital, while three injured each were admitted to Rajwadi, Shatabdi (Govandi), Shatbadi ( Kandivli) hospitals, two each to the St. George and Nair Hospital. Several others were treated and allowed to go from the neary by hospitals.
What sent waves of anxiety among the "Dahi-handi" organisers was the fact that the mishaps took place despite their having taken precautions like providing back belts - suspended from a moving crane - to the youngest of the Govindas who climbs to the crescent of the human pyramid to prevent him from falling down to the ground.
Hearing a petition challenging the August 11 2014 directive of the Bombay High Court which had imposed a ban on the participation of children aged below 18 years in the "dahi-handi" celebrations and restricted the height of pyramids to 20 feet, the Supreme Court had on August 12, 2014 ruled that no child below 12 would be allowed to participate in the celebrations. Accordingly, the organizers had obtained proofs from the children participating in the event so as to ensure that they were above 12 years - a restriction imposed by the Supreme Court last year.