Drop gates at 38 locations on the thoroughfares and 12 dedicated parking places which will remain effective till October 9 have been set up in the traffic police’s plan for the Durga Puja celebrations in the capital that was rolled out on Friday evening.
As per the circular issued by the traffic department, places where the drop gates — barricades where the cops can stop traffic should they require to do so — will be set up include Kutchery Chowk, Commissioner Chowk, RMC Road, Jaipal Singh Stadium, Shahid Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Tharpakna, Chadri road, Sarjana Chowk towards Purulia, Vishnu Cinema Road, taxi stand, Church Road towards Kali Mandir, Gadikhana Chowk, Pahari Temple and Durga Temple on Ratu road.
The designated parking spots will be at Sainik market, Kishoreganj cowshed, Judge Colony, New Market auto stand, Patel Chowk, GEL Church complex, Jakir Hussain Park, near Plaza Cinema, Ramlakhan Singh Yadav College, Zila School, Sadar Hospital, Mission Chowk and at New Market on Ratu road.
“It is necessary to regulate traffic in an effective way since roads will have huge turnout of devotees who visit Puja pandals. This special traffic arrangement will remain operational from 4pm till 4am. To avoid accidents, the speed limit will be 20km per hour,” said Ranchi superintendent of police (traffic) Ajit Peter Dungdung.
At some places on main thoroughfares traffic will be diverted towards alternative routes, a source in the traffic police said.
“Traffic will not remain completely restricted on major thoroughfares. Heavy vehicles will operate via Ring Road, Namkum, Kathitand, Khelgaon, Booty Mor, Dipatoli and Tatisilwai. More than 500 traffic cops will be deployed to manage flow of vehicles,” said the traffic police official.
“Special deployment of mobile bike squads has been made,” said Ranchi senior superintendent of police Anish Gupta. “Police control room vehicles will carry out intensive patrolling on roads and in colonies. Police personnel in plainclothes will also be deployed.”
The district police too have made elaborate security arrangements to maintain law and order. Defunct CCTV cameras have been repaired and Puja organisers have been asked to install sufficient number of CCTV cameras, said police sources.
This time the district police have also planned special security checks of big Puja pandals that will be done by officials of the special branch of state police.
