Ahead of the Dahi Handi festival, around 400 Dahi Handi pathak (groups) have taken medical insurance at their own cost before performing the human pyramid on the day of the festival. Mumbai has around 1,500 to 2,000 Govinda pathaks of which only three to four pathaks can form a nine-tier human pyramid, 20 to 25 pathaks can form an eight-tier human pyramid.

While last year, around 1,161 Dahi Handi pathaks across Maharashtra took medical insurance for their members, this year, after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced free medical insurance for Govindas on August 16, the pathaks waited till the last day to avoid paying insurance premium from their own pockets.