Kolkata bars goods vehicles, curbs traffic on 17 roads for Kali Puja night

Kolkata Police have announced wide traffic restrictions for Kali Puja and the immersions that follow, including a citywide ban on goods vehicles for most of 8 November and limits on 17 major roads in central and north Kolkata that evening, Sangbad Pratidin reported late on Saturday.

The order from Lalbazar, the police headquarters, was issued under the name of Commissioner of Police Ajay Nanda, according to the newspaper. Kali Puja falls on Sunday, 8 November.

Puja night

All goods vehicles will be barred from the city's roads from 6 am on 8 November to 4 am on 9 November, Sangbad Pratidin reported. Vehicles carrying idols are exempt.

From 4 pm on 8 November until 4 am the next day, traffic will be regulated on 17 important roads, among them College Street, Bankim Chatterjee Street, Surya Sen Street, SN Banerjee Road, RB Avenue and Lenin Sarani, the report said. Some bus services will be diverted via Rashbehari Avenue and APC Roy Road. Parking and the loading or unloading of passengers and goods will not be allowed on 24 roads, including College Street, SN Banerjee Road and Prince Anwar Shah Road, from 4 pm.

Around the Kalighat temple, traffic will be stopped on Kalighat Road, Sadananda Road and the stretches of Hazra Road and Rashbehari Avenue near the temple from 5 am to 11 am, and again from 5 pm to 4 am, on 8 November, the newspaper reported.

Immersions

The idol immersions are expected over the following days. According to Sangbad Pratidin, goods vehicles will be barred from 8 am to 4 am the next day on 9, 10 and 11 November, and from 4 pm to 3 am on those days other traffic will be diverted away from 43 roads used by immersion processions, including Strand Road, Nimtala Ghat Street, Bidon Street, Garden Reach Road and Kalighat Road.

Lorries carrying idols to the river will not be allowed on AJC Bose Road, Hospital Road, Queen's Way, Park Street, Shakespeare Sarani, the Maa flyover, the AJC Bose Road flyover or Kalighat Bridge.

Who is exempt

Ambulances, fire engines, vehicles carrying oxygen and medicines, emergency food supplies, civic and media vehicles are exempt from the restrictions, the report said. Light goods vehicles under 1,600 kg may run until 4 pm.

Background

Kali Puja and Diwali are among the busiest nights of the year for Kolkata's roads, with large community pujas in north and central Kolkata and heavy crowds at Kalighat. The state government has already fixed firecracker hours for the festival, allowing only certified green crackers between 8 pm and 10 pm on the festival night.

The Declaration could not access the Kolkata Police website to see the full notification; readers should check the Kolkata Traffic Police's official channels for the complete list of roads before travelling.