If commuting in Patna's narrow roads, dug-up lanes and traffic congestion can test someone's nerves, organisers setting up pandals for Durga Puja can make things tougher for commuters during the upcoming festive season.
Revellers gearing up for Navratri will see chaos on roads, as several pandals have been erected by encroaching the streets. The situation has been worsened by the already existing encroachment and the ongoing flyover projects in different areas of the city.
Consequently, commuters will be forced to spend more time on roads owing to snarls and detours.
Such situation is almost bound to arise on a number of arterial thoroughfares such as Bailey Road, Boring Canal Road, Kadamkuan and Kankerbagh. Several residents have complained to the civic body, as most puja samitis keep flouting the norms by encroaching the roads.
A certain Ram Sundar Prasad Singh in a complaint to Patna municipal commissioner on Monday stated that work on erecting pandals has started at several places, including parking lots along the median of Boring Canal Road.
The complainant said the Patna Municipal Corporation and the district administration have turned mere spectators even as pandals are being erected by encroaching the parking space on the busy thoroughfare.
Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agrawal said pandals are allowed only after obtaining a licence from the superintendent of police (SP) and sub-divisional magistrate (SDM).
"The rule states that puja samitis are asked to ensure that the traffic movement is not obstructed because of the pandals. This year, we have prohibited pandals on Janak Kishor Road in Kadamkuan after a Patna High Court directed us to," Agrawal said.
Madhav Kumar Singh, the sub-divisional officer Patna, said licences have been issued for 200 pandals so far. "The licences are issued after keeping encroachment in mind," said Singh. Traffic cops also admitted that it is a difficult job for them to manage traffic near pandals, which have been erected by encroaching roads or parking spaces.
" Pandals encroaching streets are a serious problem. I have raised the issue during meetings with officials concerned. The primary responsibility with regard to keeping a watch on implementation of guidelines in erecting pandals lies with the local police station," said P.K. Das, the superintendent of police-traffic, Patna.
Puja organisers, however, denied any obstruction to vehicular movement because of the pandals. "We have been erecting pandals on the Ashiana-Digha road for over 10 years now. We have never received any complaint from anyone. Our volunteers manage traffic in front of the pandals," said Mahesh Kumar, a member of a puja samiti on Ashiana-Digha Road.
Commuters, however, are apprehensive about traffic discipline during festivities.
"Patna roads are narrow and pandals worsen the situation. A sea of people move around the pandals in the last four days of Navratri and it becomes extremely difficult to drive at that time. Places like Raja Bazaar remain blocked in the evening on Ashtami and Navami," said Kankerbagh resident Ashish Bhardwaj.
Apart from snarls, pandals also damage roads. Officials in the road construction department said there is a set of provisions where one can lodge FIRs against puja organisers for encroaching footpaths and medians.
"The holes dug up to erect pandals damage the roads. We are required to inform about illegal encroachments to the district administration for FIRs. Last year, FIRs were lodged against a number of such pandals in coordination with the district administration," said Umesh Kumar Ray, the executive engineer of the New Capital Circle of the road construction department.
