Bidhannagar Police have directed Durga Puja committees across Salt Lake, Lake Town, New Town and the Airport area to keep routes accessible for senior citizens and enforce a ban on DJ systems during the 2026 celebrations.
The instructions were issued during coordination meetings held by the Eco Park, Technocity and Bidhannagar South police stations with puja committees and civic and emergency-service agencies. Police said the arrangements are intended to ensure safe movement, crowd control and essential services around pandals.
The police specifically asked organisers to prioritise smooth transit for elderly residents living near puja venues. Officers said senior citizens are particularly affected when roads are blocked or diverted because they may find it difficult to take long detours, cross barricades or move through obstructions placed on streets.
The directions apply to areas with dense residential and visitor movement during the festival, including Salt Lake, Lake Town, New Town and the Airport locality. Traffic management and access around pandals were among the subjects discussed with representatives of the traffic wing, the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority, West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, fire and emergency services and puja committees.
Police also said they would enforce the prohibition on DJ systems during Durga Puja. According to the police, previous years saw several noise complaints, particularly from the Lake Town area, where high-decibel DJ systems disrupted surrounding neighbourhoods. The police attributed the prohibition to an explicit direction from chief minister Suvendu Adhikari and said personnel would monitor compliance alongside routine crowd-management arrangements.
The coordination meetings also covered fire safety, electricity supply, puja guidelines and other civic arrangements. The involvement of traffic, development, electricity and fire authorities indicates that the preparations extend beyond policing and include the management of roads, utilities and emergency access around temporary public installations.
Police said senior officers including Jyotirmoy Roy, deputy commissioner of police for New Town; Laltu Halder, additional deputy commissioner of police for Bidhannagar; Utsha Sreemani, assistant commissioner of police for New Town; and Subhankar Biswas, assistant commissioner of police for the North Zone, attended the meetings with agency representatives and puja organisers.
The police said the combined objective is to ensure a safe, peaceful and smooth Durga Puja across the area. Further arrangements will be implemented through coordination between the police, traffic wing, civic and infrastructure agencies, emergency services and individual puja committees as preparations continue.
