Kolkata Police have announced extensive traffic restrictions across the city from November 8 to 11 in view of Kali Puja celebrations and subsequent idol immersion processions, with curbs on goods vehicles, parking and passenger pick-up and drop-off on several important roads.
A senior police officer said on Sunday that the restrictions were aimed at managing large gatherings of devotees, ensuring smooth movement of immersion processions and preventing congestion on major thoroughfares.
According to an official notification, the movement of all goods vehicles, except those carrying idols, will be prohibited from 6 am on November 8 until 4 am the following day.
๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ท๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐
Traffic restrictions will be imposed on 17 major roads in central Kolkata from 4 pm on November 8 until 4 am on November 9. The affected stretches include Bankim Chatterjee Street, Surya Sen Street, S N Banerjee Road, Rash Behari Avenue, College Street and Lenin Sarani. Buses will be diverted through Rashbehari Avenue and APC Roy Road as part of the arrangements.
Parking, passenger pick-up and drop-off, and loading and unloading of goods will also be prohibited on 24 roads from 4 pm on November 8 until 4 am the following day. These include College Street, S N Banerjee Road and Prince Anwar Shah Road.
Police said the restrictions would help keep important routes clear for devotees and facilitate movement during the celebrations.
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐
Additional traffic arrangements have been made around Kalighat Temple, which attracts large numbers of devotees during Kali Puja.
Vehicular movement on Kalighat Road, Rashbehari Avenue, Sadananda Road and Hazra Road adjoining the temple will remain suspended in two phases on November 8.
The first restriction period will be from 5 am to 11 am, while the second will begin at 5 pm and continue until 4 am on November 9. Police personnel will be deployed at important intersections and sensitive stretches to regulate traffic and assist commuters.
๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฑ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Restrictions will continue during idol immersion on November 9, 10 and 11, when the movement of goods vehicles will be prohibited from 8 am until 4 am the following day.
During these three days, traffic restrictions will be imposed on 43 roads, including Beadon Street, Nimtala Ghat Street, Strand Road, Garden Reach Road and Kalighat Road.
Vehicles not engaged in idol immersion will be diverted from these stretches between 4 pm and 3 am on each day.
The notification also prohibits idol immersion vehicles from using AJC Bose Road, Hospital Road, Queensway, Park Street, Shakespeare Sarani, Maa Flyover, AJC Bose Flyover and Kalighat Bridge.
Police said the diversions were necessary to maintain traffic flow and ensure that immersion processions could proceed without disruption.
๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ
Emergency and essential services will remain exempt from the restrictions. Ambulances, fire tenders, vehicles transporting oxygen and medicines, essential food supply vehicles, Kolkata Municipal Corporation vehicles and media vehicles will be permitted to operate.
"We have made elaborate traffic arrangements to ensure that Kali Puja celebrations and immersion processions take place smoothly. Adequate personnel will be deployed at important intersections and sensitive stretches," the senior police officer said.
The officer urged commuters to follow the notified diversions and cooperate with traffic personnel during the four-day period.
Police maintained that the arrangements would help manage festive crowds while ensuring that emergency services remained unaffected.