Traffic snarls during Durga Puja haunting Guwahatians

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The residents of Guwahati are concerned for the upcoming Durga Puja season this year, as significant construction projects are anticipated to cause traffic disruptions in and around the city. The residents are left to wonder if the government will boost their efforts to better control traffic while the construction work continues.

The authorities had an easier time managing traffic last year because construction was limited to Maligaon. This year, a number of initiatives are running concurrently, which is seriously disrupting things. There are now several roads and bye-lanes under construction in various places, including Rukminigaon, Fatasil Ambari, Chandmari, Panbazar Bridge, Bharalumukh overbridge, and others. These projects will cause traffic jams and restricted movement.

The construction of the Cycle Factory Flyover has already resulted in traffic restrictions in Bishnupur. Now that there is a significant traffic restriction on this crucial intersection, there are worries about how it will manage the extra volume of traffic during the Puja celebrations. Similarly, continuous construction is causing disruptions in Chandmari too. To facilitate smooth traffic flow, authorities have ordered that Puja pandals not be constructed on important roadways. The route in Rukminigaon, GS Road, will be extremely congested over the holiday season because there is only 12 metres of space available for traffic in both directions. Drivers may find it quite difficult to negotiate this section of the road, especially during Puja when there is usually a spike in traffic.

There are far too few parking spots in the city, and as residents struggle to find parking, things will get chaotic due to the anticipated increase in vehicles. Drivers will probably start parking illegally, which will bottleneck the already clogged roadways even more.

Speaking to The Sentinel, a traffic official said, "It is our responsibility to ensure that everything runs without a hitch. However, the operations will be hampered by the small space. I'm hoping locals stay alert enough to avoid any accidents."

Another traffic official said, "Under the current circumstances, things will become difficult. We'll do everything we can to control the traffic, and it is best to avoid travelling in cars with just one or two occupants. In order to control traffic flow, combined travel will be essential."

It is becoming increasingly apparent that everyone in the puja season is bound to be stuck in traffic, even with these preparations. With the state of the roads right now, it seems unlikely that accidents, road rage, and continuous honking will decrease during Puja celebrations in Guwahati.

The public is being asked to think about using alternative routes due to the enormous amount of ongoing construction projects. Despite the dire state of things on the roadways, the public is still optimistic that Durga Puja can go forward without complete chaos.

Also Read: Assam: GMC to construct traffic islands at Ganeshguri, faces challenges in Paltan Bazar (sentinelassam.com)

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