The entire area around the Chingrighata intersection on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in east Kolkata will soon come under the jurisdiction of Kolkata police and Lalbazar will decide on traffic and pedestrian movement at this key crossing, the state home department has decided after consulting senior police officers.
The part of the Chingrighata crossing where vehicles from Nicco Park-end of Salt Lake merge with EM Bypass is under the jurisdiction of the Bidhannagar police commissionerate. The remaining area is under Kolkata police at present.
The home department wants to do away with this division involving two separate police commissionerates, officials in the know said.
Senior officers from both the police commissionerates, led by Manoj Malaviya, the state’s director-general of police, inspected the intersection recently and it has been “principally decided” that the zone from Chingrighata intersection, the area around Jalvayu Vihar and the stretch where the Chingrighata flyover lands in Salt Lake will be handed over to Kolkata police.
Bidhannagar police commissionerate will submit a formal proposal with all relevant details. “Once the proposal reaches the director-general of police a formal notification will be issued. The announcement will specify the exact area around the Chingrighata intersection that will come under the jurisdiction of Kolkata police,” said a senior officer in the home department.
A report drawn up by the police states that Chingrighata is a complex intersection with north-south movement of vehicles and “heavy pedestrian crossover from a few major and minor roads, including the EM Bypass, Canal South Road, Chowlpatty Road, extension of Jalvayu Bihar and Beleghata Main Road”.
The police said there were several challenges in manning traffic. A few of them are:
- Residents of Sukanta Nagar have to cross this intersection to fetch drinking water because of lack of piped portable water supply
- Every day a considerable number of residents of Sukanta Nagar head to Beleghata for their daily work
- The number of cyclists crossing this intersection has gone up manifold during the pandemic
The need for complete handover of the area to Kolkata police was felt after officers realised operational challenges because of different jurisdictions.
A part of the intersection is under Pragati Maidan police station of Kolkata police, while another with Bidhannagar South police station.
“If a car has hit a pedestrian on the Salt Lake Bypass and the driver is intercepted on EM Bypass then Kolkata police have to hand over the driver to Bidhannagar police after drawing up a case,” said an officer.
Officers admitted that lack of coordination would often result in confusion.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had recently voiced her concern about the rising number of accidents at Chingrighata and jurisdiction issues.