Calcutta High Court had set the task and the police made it clear on Friday that it would ensure Puja organisers were not allowed to encroach on the city roads with their pandals.

?In keeping with the high court directive, we have agreed that no pandal will be allowed to obstruct a road in its entirety,? asserted Anuj Sharma, deputy commissioner of police (headquarters).

?We want the cooperation of Puja committees to ensure that the code is strictly adhered to,? he added.

Police held a ?coordination? meeting with around 15 public utility agencies, including the Calcutta Municipal Corporation, fire services and public works departments, CESC and the Metro Railway on the matter at Lalbazar.

It was ?unanimously? decided that no Puja pandal covering more than 50 per cent of a road would be allowed permission, and all major pandals would have to keep a 12-ft space for free access of a fire brigade in order to obtain the no-objection certificate.

Police made it mandatory for Puja organisers to submit a sketch plan with detailed measurements of their pandals ? including exit and entry points ? and other structures being erected, well in advance, to police and allied agencies.

Additionally, the divisional deputy commissioners of police would visit important Puja sites within their jurisdiction, contact the organisers and ascertain their plans before commencement of work.

Puja committees would also be discouraged from building structures not compatible with the surroundings and which could be dangerous for the public.

Special teams of fire services personnel would be posted during the Pujas at seven police stations across the city, besides a separate unit with officers, at Kumartuli, Chaturthi onwards.

Besides discussing the strictures laid down by Calcutta High Court, the coordination meeting tackled issues related to road conditions and traffic management in the city.

A survey by the traffic police has thrown up a list of around 60 major roads that demand immediate repair.

Leading the pack are Taratala Road, Garden Reach Road, parts of CR Avenue and AJC Bose Road and stretches of BB Ganguly Street and Bidhan Sarani.

The list was handed over by Calcutta Police to the civic body, Calcutta Improvement Trust and the public works department. They were asked to ensure that repair work was done by October 3.

A joint inspection to oversee the job will be held on September 19.