Shillong permits Durga Puja pandals on roads for the last time amid public concerns

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The East Khasi Hills district administration has allowed Durga Puja pandals on certain Public Works Department (PWD) roads in Shillong this year despite objections from pressure groups over traffic congestion and public inconvenience. However, it has made it clear that such arrangements will not be permitted in the future.

Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal said sector magistrates had been directed to coordinate with local dorbar shnongs, police and other stakeholders to minimise disruption while respecting the religious rights of the Hindu community.

He said the pandals were permitted in consultation with local dorbars and on the basis of PWD no-objection certificates. Relocating them at this stage would have caused practical difficulties for Puja committees.

However, the administration has asked organisers to explore alternative locations for next year, citing traffic diversions and inconvenience to commuters. It has also coordinated with the Superintendent of Police's office to minimise the duration and extent of diversions, with adequate police deployment planned near R.R. Colony during major Puja days.

At Lukier Road, the pandal was modified following the intervention of a sector magistrate to keep it off the main carriageway and restrict it to the area beside the drain.

The Khasi Students' Union (KSU) had earlier urged the PWD to remove pandals and temporary structures obstructing public roads, citing difficulties faced by vehicles and pedestrians, particularly on narrow stretches.

In a letter to the PWD chief engineer, KSU education secretary Alerick Kharjana called for proper guidelines to ensure that such structures did not compromise public safety and convenience.

Baranwal said Puja committees had also been asked to submit undertakings, describing the requirement as standard administrative practice rather than a measure introduced specifically for Durga Puja.

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