Bhubaneswar police have announced security, fire-safety and traffic measures for Ravana podi celebrations at nine locations across the city on Vijayadashami, with large crowds expected to gather for the effigy-burning ceremonies and fireworks displays.
Police said adequate personnel from the police and fire services would be deployed at the venues. Traffic arrangements have also been made to manage vehicle movement, while the entry of heavy vehicles into the city has been restricted for the occasion.
The preparations place crowd control and road management at the centre of the city’s festival operations. The nine venues are expected to draw residents from across Bhubaneswar, creating pressure on access roads and increasing the need for coordination between police, fire personnel, puja committees and local officials.
Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police Saravana Vivek M said committees had been instructed not to use DJ music during processions. Only traditional musical instruments would be permitted, according to the police. He added that Durga Puja committees could face criminal cases if they played high-decibel DJ music during idol immersion processions.
The restriction links the city’s sound-management rules with the wider public-safety arrangements for the festival. Idol immersion processions typically involve moving crowds, vehicles and public performances, making route regulation and compliance by organisers important parts of the police plan.
Separately, Inspector General of Police, Central Range, Satyajit Naik visited Durga Puja pandals in Khordha to review security preparations and arrangements for idol immersion. During the visit, he inspected crowd management, traffic regulation, safety at immersion points and coordination among the agencies involved.
Naik also interacted with puja committee members and field officers and issued instructions for the safe and peaceful conduct of the immersion process. The review indicates that preparations extend beyond the Ravana podi venues to the subsequent movement of idols and processions through the city and surrounding areas.
For Bhubaneswar residents, the measures are expected to affect travel routes, freight movement and access around celebration and immersion points. The heavy-vehicle restriction is intended to reduce traffic pressure during the period of concentrated public activity, while the deployment of fire-service staff addresses the risks associated with fireworks and large gatherings.
Police and fire-service deployment, traffic regulation and coordination with organising committees will remain the main operational measures as Vijayadashami celebrations and idol immersion activities take place. Organisers have been instructed to follow the sound restrictions and safety directions issued by the authorities.
