The Silchar Municipal Corporation has warned Durga Puja committees against digging up public roads after a recently repaired concrete stretch at Rangirkhari was damaged to install bamboo poles for a temporary pandal. The incident has triggered public anger and led the civic body to bar Puja pandals from being erected on roads.
Photographs of the damaged road circulated on social media, with residents questioning how a recently repaired public road could be cut open for festival construction. Locals said the stretch had been repaired after commuters faced prolonged inconvenience and alleged that holes drilled into the concrete for bamboo poles could weaken the surface and undo work carried out at public expense.
The issue was raised at a preparatory meeting convened by the SMC on Tuesday to review arrangements for Durga Puja. Udharbond BJP MLA Rajdeep Goala, who attended the meeting, expressed concern over road damage caused during pandal construction and said committees responsible for digging up public roads would be held accountable.
Goala said the practice of damaging roads for temporary structures must stop, particularly as residents across Silchar continue to face difficulties because of poor road conditions. The meeting, chaired by SMC executive officer Abhijit Bey, decided that permission would not be granted for pandals on roads because such structures obstruct traffic and inconvenience commuters.
The Rangirkhari incident also brought wider civic concerns to the meeting. Citizen Mridul Majumder highlighted traffic congestion, inadequate street lighting and the unrestricted movement of cattle on city roads. Goala urged the departments concerned to expedite road repairs, clean drains, improve water supply and ensure uninterrupted electricity during the festival period.
The SMC has directed the relevant departments to repair potholes and damaged roads before the festival. Ward-wise sanitation teams have been formed to clean drains and remove roadside garbage, while faulty streetlights will be repaired or replaced.
The civic arrangements also include a two-day idol immersion exercise at Sadarghat on October 21 and 22. The administration has decided to complete the immersion process within those two days. The SMC’s warning places responsibility on Puja committees to avoid damaging public infrastructure while preparing temporary festival structures.
