Kolkata’s painted flyovers have become the focus of a road-safety dispute after a dashcam video appearing to show three bikers skidding on the Chingrihata flyover circulated online. The Indian Express, which reported the incident, said it could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage. Political parties have nevertheless questioned whether the city’s Durga Puja beautification drive has introduced additional risks for commuters during rain.
The Chingrihata flyover is among the Kolkata structures painted in bright colours ahead of Durga Puja. The Gariahat flyover has also reportedly been painted, while the Howrah Bridge has been decorated with lights. The work forms part of a wider beautification campaign being led by Paul, the state minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, according to the report.
The safety question concerns the material used on the carriageway, rather than colour alone. Ashutosh Chatterjee, general secretary of the Congress’s West Bengal unit, wrote to Paul and Smita Pandey, commissioner and administrator of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, warning that glossy paint on surfaces used by vehicle tyres could reduce traction when wet.
In the letter cited by The Indian Express, Chatterjee said road surfaces intended for motor traffic should not be covered with ordinary household paint. He referred to IRC:35-2015 and IS:164, and argued that road-marking materials are preferred because of their technical performance, durability and reflective properties.
Chatterjee further claimed that the coefficient of friction of a glossy painted surface could fall from 0.6–0.7 to below 0.3 when wet with water, oil or diesel. The report presents this as a safety concern raised in the letter; the supplied material does not include an independent test of the painted Kolkata flyovers or an official assessment of their skid resistance.
Somendra Mohan Ghosh, an environmentalist and green technologist quoted by The Indian Express, said ordinary paint appeared to have been used instead of thermoplastic paint and that such paint may not contain anti-skid materials. This observation is also not accompanied in the supplied report by a government specification, laboratory test or inspection record confirming the material applied at Chingrihata or Gariahat.
The video generated strong reactions from political parties. The All India Trinamool Congress alleged on X on October 14 that the freshly painted flyover had become a “death trap” and claimed that accidents had occurred during the first spell of rain. Those claims were presented in the report as a political statement and were not independently confirmed in the supplied material.
The controversy has also exposed an administrative question about urban beautification: whether a project designed to improve the visual appearance of public infrastructure was preceded by documented checks on road safety, surface performance and visibility in wet conditions. The available report does not state whether such checks were conducted, which agency approved the paint, what technical product was used, or whether the flyover has been temporarily inspected after the video circulated.
Paul has publicly promoted the painting drive. The report said the minister was seen drawing an aalpona at the seven-point crossing at Park Circus and later posted a video from a coloured flyover in Gariahat. She described the work as representing “the road of trust, love and brotherhood” and said additional alponas could be painted at Rashbehari and Park Street if time permitted.
For now, the verified position is limited. A video linked to the Chingrihata flyover has circulated, but its authenticity has not been established by the reporting source. Political parties have raised allegations about safety, while technical concerns have been voiced about glossy paint and wet-weather traction. Confirmation would require an official inspection, identification of the materials used and documented findings on whether the painted surface complies with applicable road-safety requirements.
