Crowd control emerged as a major concern at a meeting organised by the authorities to discuss safety measures with puja committees.
Held at Divinity Pavilion, Golaghata, on Sunday, the meeting was presided by MLA Sujit Bose, mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Commissionerate (BMC) Krishna Chakraborty, chairman of New Town Kolkata Development Authority Debashis Sen and representatives of Bidhannagar police commissionerate.
“We expect the police to help us clear roads. Sometimes people just wander around pandals in their cars and refuse to move out unless there is a constable nearby. That creates congestion,” said Ratan Das of Dumdum Park Tarun Sangha. “Also at night, when the crowd is at its peak, sometimes the constables cannot manage on their own. I request the police to deploy more personnel.”
Agreed Sumit Mukherjee, of a puja in New Town. “Traffic police and green police are helpful but we need more of them. I request you to deploy more people, especially in areas where the crowd is heavy,” he said.
The biggest crowd-puller of the area is undoubtedly Sreebhumi Sporting Club. Last year, their Burj Khalifa replica pandal had brought airport-bound traffic to a halt and this year, being their golden jubilee edition, should draw just as high footfall, if not more. Bose, the president of the club, said they would do their best to manage crowds.
“Sreebhumi is a big puja and we are trying our best to cope with the crowd there. We also need to follow environmental norms,” he said. This year Sreebhumi will be modelling its pandal on St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
Sen asked organisers to go eco-friendly too. “Apart from fire safety measures like keeping extinguishers and water hoses ready, we should have enough security to manage the crowd. Puja committees under BMC have always been up to date with safety norms but from now on the stress is on zero plastic,” he said.
Chakraborty said they were trying to go plastic-free too. “We want organisers to keep premises not just clean but also to use only goods that can be recycled. No plastic should be seen thrown around or accumulated anywhere.”
Officials of the police commissionerate promised help at all hours of night and day in case of an emergency. “We are always ready to help. We must work together so the festive season is a successful one. Safety should never be compromised. Please ensure that traffic does not get stuck in the lanes and bylanes owing to the puja pandals,” said police commissioner Supratim Sarkar.
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