Security beefed up for Carnival
Kolkata: Owing to the ‘fast unto death’ movement by the junior doctors in the Esplanade area, Kolkata Police has made an elaborate security arrangement for the Durga Puja carnival on Red Road that is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. Plans have been made for the smooth movement of traffic as well.
Around 3,000 police personnel will be deployed in and around the Red Road, including 500 police personnel for Red Road alone. Also a special deployment will be made near the area where junior doctors are protesting.
Several watch towers have been erected from where the Kolkata Police’s sniper team will keep a close watch on the carnival venue. Multiple Quick Response Teams (QRT) will be at strategic locations around the Red Road.
Apart from the carnival, a different police arrangement has been made for the rally that has been called by the junior doctors on Tuesday.
Special plans for the smooth movement of traffic will also be enforced on Tuesday. Movement of all types of goods vehicles, except those carrying idols, will be restricted along the AJC Bose Road from Exide Crossing upto Hastings Crossing, New Road Dufferin Road, Lovers Lane and Red Road from 12 pm. Kidderpore Road from Hastings Crossing to Lovers Lane will be closed for all vehicles except the carnival-related ones and vehicles that want to avail of Vidyasagar Setu from 2 pm till the carnival ends.
No vehicles except carnival-related ones will be allowed to ply along the Hospital Road (North bound) from its crossing with AJC Bose road from 2 pm. Red Road, Lovers Lane, Queensway, Plassey Gate Road and Esplanade ramp will be closed for vehicular movement from 2 pm on Tuesday.
However, Red Road will be closed between 12 am on Monday night and 9 am on Tuesday for infrastructural work related to the carnival. Though the traffic movement on Red Road will be allowed after 9 am till 2 pm, it may get regulated if cops find it necessary.
Spectators arriving at the carnival on foot were advised to walk along the AJC Bose Road, Chowringhee Road, Outram Road, Mayo Road or R R Avenue instead of Kidderpore Road. People are also advised to get down at Esplanade and Park Street from public transport and avail the road to reach the carnival enclosure.
No vehicles will be allowed to park on any side of 11 roads, including Chowringhee Road, J L Nehru Road, Cathedral Road, Queensway, Mayo Road, Strand Road along with five other roads. However, traffic movement may get diverted from any other roads if on duty police personnel feel it necessary.
