Bhubaneswar, Oct. 2: Police have made elaborate arrangements to regulate traffic in the city during Durga Puja.

There are plans to divert vehicular movement at various squares leading to the prominent puja mandaps to avoid chaos.

A senior police officer said there were 156 Puja mandaps in the city and its outskirts. Most of these are situated along Janapath, Vidyut Marg, Sachibalaya Marg, National Highway 5 and 203.

“These roads are prone to traffic chaos during the pujas,” said the officer.

The traffic department has deployed more officers this year as the number of puja pandals has gone up by 40.

However, traffic officials said ongoing road expansion work and construction of flyovers at several places in the city would add to the chaos. “Many places on the roads have been either dug up or barricaded. This will create more traffic problems,” said a traffic police officer.

Traffic police have appealed to the public not to park their vehicles on the roads, as this would create traffic jams. There would be designated parking lots, where vehicles can be parked and the police deployed near the mandaps would direct the vehicles towards the parking places. Deputy commissioner of police, Nitinjeet Singh, said the traffic arrangement had been made as per the requirements with more focus on Dashami and the day of immersion.

“There will be elaborate security arrangements for Dussehra, with 15 platoons of police forces deployed at several places,” said Singh.

Clean pujas

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to take up special sanitation measures at all puja pandals in the city.

The civic body plans to provide additional dustbins in and around the pandals. Priyadarshi Mohapatra, deputy commissioner of the BMC, said various sanitation groups had been constituted to look after the sanitation facilities.

“Our office will remain open during the festival and our staff will work on a roaster basis. The team will monitor the sanitation conditions from 8am to 8pm,” he added. Similarly, a seven-member team, headed by a food inspector, will monitor the quality of food served at various pandals.

The team will operate from 2pm to 10pm.

“We have already sent notices to restaurants to maintain hygiene while preparing foods. Quality of food items served by roadside vendors will also be monitored,” said city health officer Chandrika Prasad Das. Earlier, the BMC had filled all the potholes that fell within a 100-metre range of puja pandals. Various Puja committees have also been taking measures to keep the pandals and surrounding areas clean.

“We have our own volunteers who will look after the sanitation conditions of the pandals and surrounding areas. We have also selected a place where garbage can be dumped so that the BMC can collect it,” said Arvind Das, secretary of Ashok Nagar puja committee.