Latest news with #ShahidDiwas
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
800 KMC workers clean up rally leftovers in an hour
Kolkata: Esplanade and other parts of central Kolkata, where lakhs of party supporters congregated to attend the Shahid Diwas programme on Monday, were up and running within an hour of the programme ending. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now CM Mamata Banerjee concluded her address at 2.30 pm, and despite the scale of the gathering, traffic movement was systematically restored in phases. According to KMC, 800 workers, including 100 in Esplanade alone, were deployed to clear up the roads on a war-footing. The volunteers ensured that the crowd dispersed without creating any chaos. Buses ferrying workers were parked on Central Avenue, College Street, and BB Ganguly Street. By 3.15 pm, the southbound flank of Central Avenue at the Esplanade crossing was opened to traffic. "Once we ensured crowd dispersal and pedestrian safety, we immediately opened the southbound flank for vehicles," said a traffic sergeant. "As workers dismantled the dais, we rerouted northbound vehicles through the same flank to prevent congestion. " By 4.30 pm, both flanks of Central Avenue were operational, with a small section near the dais cordoned off for the final dismantling of the stage. Roads that had remained closed during the programme as lakhs of workers assembled there were fully open to traffic by 4.30 pm. Workers loaded the guard rails onto big lorries and immediately cleared the roads for. As soon as the programme ended, KMC teams began clean-up operations across the Maidan area, Esplanade, and surrounding roads. A senior official from the solid waste management department of KMC said, "Our teams were stationed across the city and were activated immediately after the programme. Special focus was on clearing the vicinity of the main stage and the Maidan. " Many workers who had come from the districts cooked their meals on pavements leading to Esplanade. The conservancy workers cleaned up the garbage left behind. Multiple conservancy teams were also deployed at Geetanjali stadium, Uttirno, and several accommodation points in north and central Kolkata where outstation party workers stayed overnight.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Cops to keep 4 major stretches clear of rallyists from 9 am to 11 am
1 2 3 Kolkata: Even as lakhs are expected to take over large stretches of central Kolkata — extending into parts of north and south Kolkata — for Trinamool Congress's Shahid Diwas rally at Esplanade (CR Avenue-Bentinck Street crossing) on Monday, Kolkata Police firmed up a plan to keep north-south traffic to central Kolkata moving between 9 am and 11 pm, as per directives of Calcutta High Court. Cops will keep four key roads of the city "sanitized" and free of intrusion from 9 am to until 11 am. These will be EM Bypass, Maa flyover-AJC Bose Road flyover-AJC Bose Road-Kidderpore Road-Red Road alignment, AJC Bose alignment between Exide and Park Street Crossing-Park Street, and at least one flank of C R Avenue. "The idea is to keep away all rallies on foot and parking from these roads so that daily commuters are not harassed. We will request everyone to think of using these alignments besides using the Metro. We will keep designated holding areas for rallies on other roads to keep traffic jams in check," said a DCP. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata A total of 5,500 cops will be on duty between Exide Crossing and Shyambazar — and at important crossings and entry points to the city. "We will advise daily commuters to avoid coming to central Kolkata between 11 am and 3:30 pm, particularly between Exide and MG Road-CR Avenue crossing and between Moulali and Babughat (excluding Strand Road) unless necessary. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Traffic at Dorina Crossing, Rani Rashmoni Avenue, SN Banerjee Road, Chowringhee Road, JL Nehru Road, Babughat, and Lenin Sarani will be regulated," said a joint commissioner. Lalbazar advised that all Howrah station-bound vehicles can take Vidyasagar Setu. However, thousands of rallyists from Howrah, Burdwan, Midnapore, and Birbhum may enter the city via this bridge, so the flank entering the city will remain heavy. With Strand Road being used for parking, cops will try to keep MG Road traffic moving towards Howrah. For those depending on public transport, the commute is going to be even more challenging given that over 13,000 vehicles — buses and mini-trucks included — will be coming to the city from districts. In addition, with party workers requisitioning over 1,500 city buses, several routes operating with limited buses may remain suspended for most of the day. "The long-distance buses will virtually not operate. We had a situation in East Midnapore (including Digha) and Bankura where buses were taken over by party men as early as Wednesday. Back in city, we asked organisers to allow 20% of buses on each route to operate," said Titu Saha, general secretary of City Suburban Bus Service. Bus owners said they will try to operate buses between 6 am and 11 am for an up-and-down trip. Auto operators said they will try to operate normally from the evening. Eleven marches — seven big — will start from different points of city to head to the city centre.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Kolkata braces for Shahid Diwas traffic curbs amid high court directives
The Kolkata Police have decided to implement a slew of traffic measures in the central part of the city on Monday in view of the ruling Trinamool Congress's Shahid Diwas program. Besides, in a recent order, the Calcutta High Court has mandated that processions related to the annual TMC rally in Dharmatala be permitted only before 8 am and after 11 am. The three-hour window, from 8 am to 11 am, the court observed, was critical for maintaining the traffic flow in Kolkata. Kolkata Police Commissioner (CP) Manoj Verma, after reviewing arrangements on Saturday, affirmed the force's commitment to fulfilling the high court's directives. 'The preparations for the Martyrs' Day rally are in the final stages. We will ensure that the Calcutta High Court's orders are complied with. All the officers have been informed in this regard. We will deploy extra police officers and civic volunteers to ensure smooth traffic movement,' CP Verma said. He also launched three helplines – 1073, 9830811111, and 9830010000 – for the assistance of the public on rally day. 'July 21st is an emotion; people go there out of emotion. We have full respect for the high court, the police will take care of the traffic, but on July 21st, people come voluntarily and feel emotional about it,' said TMC Spokesperson Kunal Ghosh. The police released a notification outlining extensive traffic restrictions for passenger vehicles from 4 am to 9 pm on July 21. These include: No goods vehicles will be permitted to enter the city from 3 am to 8 pm on July 21. Exceptions have been made for vehicles carrying essential goods such as LPG gas cylinders, fish, and meat. Parking will be strictly prohibited in several important areas and streets, including those adjacent to the Victoria Memorial (Hastings Crossing, Cathedral Road, Hospital Road, Lovers Lane, Casuarina Avenue). Trams and other vehicles will not be allowed to park on roads along the procession routes towards Dharmatala. The police may temporarily direct vehicles to alternate routes, including diverting major road traffic to smaller roads, based on real-time assessments. Given that Monday, July 21, is the first working day of the week, the police have advised commuters to anticipate significant diversions and delays. The Kolkata Metro has been recommended as the most reliable travel option to avoid road congestion. The annual Shahid Diwas rally commemorates the death of Youth Congress workers in police firing in 1993. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, then a leader of the Youth Congress, was leading the demonstration at the time of the incident.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Rain queers cops' rally day car parking pitch
Kolkata: The Kolkata Traffic Police is facing a new challenge in managing vehicle parking for the upcoming Shahid Diwas rally on Monday, as persistent rainfall threatens to render designated parking fields unusable. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The fresh spell of rain on Friday, with more occasional rain predicted even on Saturday, has left cops worried as they believe the Maidan area can be filled with slush. The traffic department, which initially planned to utilise various fields across the city for parking buses and cars of parade attendees, is now frantically searching for alternative solutions on the main roads, stretching between Strand Road and APC Road. "We are exploring all possible options to accommodate vehicles coming from the districts," said a senior traffic official from Lalbazar, stating that they were fixing specific zones for parking for each separate district, as is always the practice. In response to the crisis, traffic guards are considering utilising empty streets within their jurisdictions. The northern section of APC Road, which typically remains vacant during such events, is being evaluated as a potential parking area. Additionally, parts of Burrabazar-Posta, which are expected to be empty due to restrictions on goods vehicles during the parade, are also being considered. "Even if the weather improves later this week, the waterlogged fields may not dry up sufficiently to be used as parking spaces," said a traffic officer. "We need to instruct the drivers well in advance and guide them so that we can adhere to the high court order and ensure there is no traffic jam during their movement," said an officer. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The situation is particularly challenging as several schools and colleges will remain open on the parade day. Updates regarding alternative parking arrangements will be communicated to parade participants and the public in the coming days, said Lalbazar. On Friday, CP Manoj Verma met Howrah and Bidhannagar cops to discuss their rally preparedness. He will meet senior officers from the two 24 Parganas on Saturday.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
No entry, detours & diversions: Cops gear up to keep city moving on protest day
Kolkata: Senior Kolkata Police Traffic officers gathered for a series of meetings on Friday following the high court directives for the Shahid Diwas rally. Sources said that with barely 48 hours left, officers are keen on implementing a "dynamic" process to keep at least some key connecting roads completely normal between 9 am and 11 am. While the officers primarily agreed to keep EM Bypass and AJC Bose Road untouched, there is still no clarity on how to ensure movement from north and south to central Kolkata. Sources said that officers will stop all movement from Vidyasagar Setu ramp towards Esplanade, and Hastings will be shut. All vehicles arriving in the city will be re-routed to Strand Road. "We will keep Kidderpore Road-Lovers Lane and Queensway open for office-goers, and thus the south-central movement should not be an issue. For the north-central access, we are hoping to keep Esplanade-bound CR Avenue-Lalbazar Street open. However, a final decision will be taken after review," said a top police source. With 9,000 vehicles entering the city, the officers are trying to ensure if CIT Road and College Street-Amherst Street can accommodate a sizeable number of vehicles so that both CR Avenue and APC Road can remain free. In this regard, traffic officers are asking schools about their plans. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy the Dip: Top 5 Dividend Stocks with Growth Potential Seeking Alpha Read More Undo "We would like them not to disperse students between 11 am and 1 pm," said a source. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Officers said that although certain roads around the venue might be regulated post 11 am, they can keep key arterial roads moving almost all through the day. "Last year, we shut Moulali crossing only around noon. However, we did shut SN Banerjee at 5 am as rallyists began arriving around that time. With the challenge of providing parking to thousands of vehicles, we parked vehicles on Lenin Sarani, CIT Road, and Mullickbazar. We arranged parking as far as Rajabazar," explained an officer.
