City gears up for Puja Carnival amid tight security & restricted traffic movement

Durga Puja may be over but celebrations in the ‘City of Joy’ have not ceased yet as the grand Puja Carnival will be held on Friday on Red Road amidst tight security.

With just two days remaining in between the extravaganza, final touches are being given to turn the carnival into a grand show. Kolkata Police has almost turned the Red Road and its surrounding areas into a fortress for the event on Friday. As several VVIPs will be present along with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the security arrangement is being made in different tiers.

Police sources said that 2,000 police personnel will be deployed for security. Vehicular movement on Red Road will be restricted. Though police personnel will be deployed on Friday morning at Red Road, the whole area will be scrutinised thoroughly after imposing vehicular movement restrictions. Sniffer dogs will be used as well. The bomb squad of Kolkata Police will also be engaged.

Several teams of police comprising Special Action Force (SAF), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Quick Reaction Team (QRT) will be deployed at Red Road and its surrounding areas.

Red Road will be divided into 12 zones for better security surveillance. Each zone will be taken care of by a deputy commissioner rank officer. There will be joint CP and DC rank officers who will manage VVIP movements. Overall surveillance will be carried out by additional CP rank officers. Around 8-10 watch towers will be set up and 10 police assistance booths.

Durga idols of the most popular Pujas in the city and its adjoining areas will parade through the stretch one after another on decorated trucks amidst various colourful arrangements.

Around 101 Puja committees will take part in the carnival out of which around 88 idols are from Kolkata and 13 from Howrah. Each Puja committee will be given two minutes. Around 18,000 seats will be arranged on both sides of Red Road. There will be two daises at the venue; one for the Chief Minister and her Cabinet colleagues while the other one for the special guests.

Around 15,000 invitation letters have been distributed. There will be around 2,000 special guests.

Carnival will also occur in each district on Thursday.

Vehicular movement in the city will be restricted from the morning on Friday. Red Road, Lovers Lane, Queensway, Plassey Gate Road, Esplanade Ramp will be closed for traffic movement 2 pm on Friday till the programme is over. Movement of the goods vehicles will be restricted on AJC Bose Road from Exide crossing up to Hasting’s crossing. Kidderpore Road from Hastings crossing to Lovers Lane will be closed to vehicular traffic from 2 pm. No vehicular traffic will be allowed to play on Hospital Road north bound from its crossing with AJC Bose road from 2 pm.