With puja the traffic management in steel city is going to face a huge challenge in the absence of a traffic DSP. The onus of managing vehicle movement during the festive period, this year will be managed by five traffic inspectors since the post of DSP (Traffic) is lying vacant since Babban Singh retired on September 30, 2021.

With over five lakh vehicles in the city, maintaining vehicular traffic is one of the biggest concerns for the city police during the three-day Puja festivity. During this period a large number of vehicles remain on the roads, thereby giving a tough time to the traffic wing of the police.

Superintendent of city police Subhash Chandra Jat asserted that the task of maintaining vehicular traffic in absence of a traffic DSP during the Puja will be a challenging task.

“The post of the DSP (Traffic) is not going to be filled before the Puja. The junior traffic cops will have to take instructions from five traffic inspectors instead of the traffic DSP, something which is very challenging,” said Jat while talking to The Telegraph Online.

He also pointed out that a DSP is better experienced in handling the traffic snarls, a common feature during the Puja besides monitoring rash drivers.

The senior police officer said that despite the Puja being held in a restricted manner, while adhering to the Covid protocol, the crowd of vehicle-borne revelers is expected to hit the roads for pandal-hopping like the previous year.

“Despite senior superintendent of police M Tamil Vanan and myself overseeing the traffic management, the actual job of maintaining the traffic will be done by the five traffic inspectors,” said Jat.

For the uninitiated, despite the Covid restrictons being in place over 350 public Pujas are being organised in the city. Traffic jams during the peak hours of the festivity are expected at Kashidih on the Straight Mile Road and Bengal Club in Sakchi, Circuit House Area in Bistupur, Tuiladungri in Golmuri and Telco.