Kolkata Police has announced traffic restrictions across several central and southern parts of the city for Kali Puja, with limits on goods vehicles, parking, passenger pick-up and drop-off, bus routes and immersion traffic from November 8 to November 11.
The notification, signed by Police Commissioner Ajay Nand, states that all goods vehicles, except those carrying idols, will be barred from the city’s roads from 6 am on November 8 until 4 am on November 9. The restrictions are intended to manage movement during the festival, when police deployment will also be increased across key areas.
From 4 pm on November 8 until 4 am the following day, traffic will be controlled on 17 important roads, including Bankim Chatterjee Street, Surya Sen Street, S N Banerjee Road, R B Avenue, College Street and Lenin Sarani. Bus services will be diverted through Rash Behari Avenue and A P C Roy Road, according to the notification reported by Sangbad Pratidin.
The order also prohibits parking, passenger pick-up and drop-off, and loading or unloading of goods on 24 roads from 4 pm on November 8. The roads listed include College Street, S N Banerjee Road and Prince Anwar Shah Road. These restrictions are likely to affect access to commercial areas, public transport users and deliveries during the evening period, although the notification does not specify separate arrangements for individual establishments.
Additional restrictions have been announced around Kalighat. Traffic will be stopped on Kalighat Road, Rash Behari Avenue, Sadananda Road and Hazra Road from 5 am to 11 am, and again from 5 pm on November 8 until 4 am the next day. The measures cover roads around the temple area during the festival period.
Goods vehicles will also be restricted on November 9, 10 and 11, from 8 am until 4 am the following day. Between 4 pm and 3 am on these three days, vehicles other than those carrying immersion materials will be diverted from 43 roads, including Beadon Street, Nimtala Ghat Street, Strand Road, Garden Reach Road and Kalighat Road.
Vehicles carrying idols for immersion will not be permitted to use A J C Bose Road, Hospital Road, Queens Way, Park Street, Shakespeare Sarani, Maa Flyover, A J C Bose Flyover or Kalighat Bridge. The notification does not provide an alternative route list for every immersion vehicle, but establishes the roads that will remain unavailable to them.
Emergency services will be exempt from the restrictions. Ambulances, fire engines, vehicles carrying oxygen and medicines, vehicles transporting essential food items, municipal vehicles and media vehicles will be allowed to operate. Small goods vehicles weighing below 1,600 kilograms may also operate until 4 pm.
The notification places the main operational burden on traffic management at busy festival locations while keeping essential services moving. Residents, traders, delivery operators and commuters will need to account for the specified closure periods and diversions, with the restrictions beginning on November 8.
