Police on Tuesday promised arrangements to ensure traffic is “least affected” by the roadshow on Thursday to celebrate Unesco’s inclusion of Kolkata’s Durga Puja on its list of “intangible cultural heritage”.
Vehicular traffic will be stopped on the south-bound flank of Chittaranjan Avenue, between the crossing leading to Jorasanko Thakurbari and Jawaharlal Nehru Road, when the rally will proceed towards Esplanade.
The police said they would keep the north-bound flank open to traffic even when the rally, to be led by the chief minister, would march through the adjoining flank. The rally will start from Jorasanko at 2pm.
“We will run traffic through the north-bound flank (of Chittaranjan Avenue). As for the south-bound flank, vehicles will be diverted from crossings depending upon their proximity to the rally.... Restrictions and diversions will be dynamic in nature, as and when required,” deputy commissioner (traffic) Sunil Yadav said on Tuesday.
Another officer said they would withdraw restrictions from the south-bound flank of Chittaranjan Avenue one crossing after another as the rally moved towards Esplanade.
The traffic police have issued a notification mentioning restrictions on the movement of vehicles on Bhupen Bose Avenue, Jatindra Mohan Avenue, Chittaranjan Avenue, Vivekananda Road, KK Tagore Street, Mahatma Gandhi Road, BB Ganguly Street, Ganesh Chandra Avenue, SN Banerjee Road, Lenin Sarani, Outram Road, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Rani Rashmoni Avenue, Hospital Road, Lover’s Lane, Kidderpore Road and Esplanade Row (East) on Thursday.
A senior officer in the traffic department said their primary objective was to ensure “minimum disruption to normal city traffic”.
Vehicles moving from north Kolkata towards Esplanade will be diverted through Vivekananda Road, Amherst Street, BB Ganguly Street or MG Road, depending upon the location of the rally on Chittaranjan Avenue.
Buses headed towards Red Road from AJC Bose Road or DL Khan Road will be diverted through the Exide crossing and Chowringhee Road during rush hours on Thursday afternoon.
Smaller vehicles will be routed through Chittaranjan Avenue and Rabindra Sarani, if needed, an officer said.
Specific traffic restrictions have been notified for Red Road, where the rally will terminate and a programme will be held.
A structure has been erected along the road for the programme. Red Road will be closed to traffic from 11pm on Tuesday till 4am on Wednesday and again between 11pm on Wednesday till 6am on Thursday.
The road will again be closed to traffic when the programme will be held on Thursday. The police said the road would also remain closed between 12.30am and 5am on Friday.
Last week, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that Durga Puja celebrations would start on September 1 this year with a “Thank You” to Unesco and urged offices and schools to close early that day.
She had said a rally to celebrate Unesco’s decision would be organised with puja organisers, performers and around 10,000 students.
