Ballygunge Cultural puja pandal……Debobrata Shome
The police said they are putting special importance to Kalighat metro station which caters to over 40 % of puja revellers moving either towards Deshapriya Park or Chetla Agrani. Cops have also directed organisers to ensure that no shopper is inconvenienced due to the construction of pandals.
Kolkata Traffic Police said that among those “advised’ on ground included big ones located in the Lake and Deshapriya Park area. They were asked to ensure a larger exit (around 16 feet in width) and ensure they leave “enough space” for vehicular movement respectively, said cops, the initial requests made almost a month back. Cops said that another pandal coming up near Triangular Park was warned to leave space for vehicles. “It has been done as per our bidding,” said an officer.
Kolkata: Kolkata Police has begun holding multiple parleys with multiple south Kolkata Durga Puja organisers, with the focus firmly now on ensuring that pedestrian and vehicular movement remains as normal as possible. Significantly, police have asked all organisers to ensure that they do not block the barricaded space earmarked for reveller movements with advertisements that can impede or block smooth movement of pedestrians. Not occupying space on the blacktop is also another important criterion to get police permissions, reminded cops. This is why the police have also requested metro not to allow two trains to enter platforms at the same time to rule out any possibility of a stampede at the Kalighat metro station. The cops have also held consultation with metro to keep seven of the nine gates open and pedestrian crossover methods were discussed.
the police this year will divert vehicles – especially buses – headed for Tollygunge Circular Road and Durgapur Bridge via Hazra and Alipore Road towards the Jai Hind Setu While the area around Bachan’s Dhaba will be used to circulate crowd moving towards Chetla Agrani and Alipore Sarbojonin and the Lake Market gate will be used by revellers to reach the metro platform (as was the practice earlier).
Most senior officers will also be deputed between Deshapriya Park and Chetla Agarani,” said a senior officer. An additional control post-cum-watch tower will come up at the Rashbehari Avenue crossing, making it the nerve centre of pujas. This will be in addition to the reserve control rooms that will come up at Jadavpur, Tollygunge and Behala. “Maximum cops outside Lalbazar will be in this area.