Many puja organisers in the city are not leaving the stipulated 4ft space between a pandal and the permanent structures around it though most have come around to leaving adequate road space free for movement of vehicles. Here are a few flouting the 4ft rule

Singhi Park Sarbojonin

Puja: Singhi Park Sarbojonin

Age: 69

What we saw: The puja that the organisers say will force a no-entry on the otherwise busy Dover Lane from 5.30pm during the four festive days has been inconveniencing residents more than a month in advance. The pandal, modelled on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, and heaps of bamboo sticks encroach on the footpaths on both its sides, in the process blocking a gate of the Central Government Officers’ Residential Complex.

Violation: The mandatory 4ft gap has not been left between the pandal and the permanent structures around it. Cars can pass through the gap left on the black top but pedestrians have lost their right of way.

Voice: “We have left space free on the road. The part of the pavement where we dumped materials is already blocked because someone has built a garden there,” said Bhaskar Nandi, the secretary of the puja committee.

66 Palli Sarbojonin

Puja: 66 Palli Sarbojonin

Age: 60

What we saw: Space has been left for cars to squeeze through on Nepal Bhattacharya Street. The pandal and other structures, stretching over 50m, encroach on the footpaths.

Violation: The mandatory 4ft gap between the pandal and adjoining buildings has not been maintained. At places, hardly 1ft has been left free.

Voice: “We have tried to leave as much gap as possible between the pandal and the buildings. The gap is 4.5ft in certain parts. And no one is complaining,” said puja committee member Sumit Sengupta.

Bhowanipore Mukta Dal

Puja: Bhowanipore Mukta Dal

Age: 62

What we saw: This puja has left about 10ft free on one side of Kalighat Road, near its intersection with Harish Mukherjee Road. On the other side of the road, there is hardly any space between the pandal and the buildings around it, inconveniencing those who live there and pedestrians.

Violation: The gap between the back of the pandal and the buildings behind it is between 2ft and 3ft, instead of 4ft.

Voice: “Cops from the local police station have visited our pandal already. If we had not left enough space, they would have pointed that out,” said Amit Bhuiya, the treasurer of the puja committee.