Kolkata puja pandals will have special lounges and ramps for elderly and disabled visitors under measures announced by the state government, with the aim of making pandal visits easier and more accessible. Tea will also be provided to senior citizens and disabled visitors at the designated lounges, according to municipal affairs and urban development minister Agnimitra Paul.
The lounges will allow elderly visitors to sit and rest before entering the pandal areas. For wheelchair users, ramps will provide direct access to viewing areas from where they can see the idols and decorations, Paul said.
The announcement places accessibility within the arrangements made for Kolkata’s large public festival spaces. Instead of treating access only as a movement issue, the proposed facilities are intended to address the need for rest and assisted viewing for visitors who may find crowded pandal grounds difficult to navigate.
The minister said the ramps would take wheelchairs directly to an area of the pandal from which disabled visitors could have a better view of the installations. The statement did not specify the number of pandals where the facilities will be provided, their design standards, or whether the arrangements will be available throughout the festival period.
Waste management is also part of the proposed visitor arrangements. Paul said the Kolkata Municipal Corporation would be asked to place adequate waste bins at puja pandals, where visitors are expected to consume different types of snacks. The minister appealed to visitors to use the bins and not leave food containers or leftovers on the grounds.
The waste-management request will require coordination between the KMC, volunteers and pandal organisers. The minister asked visitors to support KMC volunteers in keeping the grounds clear, while the proposed bins are expected to help manage waste generated during visits.
The announcement does not provide details on the locations of the special lounges, the number of ramps or bins planned, or the agency responsible for monitoring their upkeep. Those details will determine how consistently the measures are implemented across pandal grounds. For now, the state government’s stated plan combines visitor seating, wheelchair access, refreshments and waste facilities as part of the arrangements for the upcoming puja visits.
