Post-Puja Kolkata Traffic Chaos: As Durga Puja 2025 festivities fade into memory, Kolkata’s roads continue to bear the aftereffects of celebration. The return to routine office traffic on Monday brought a wave of congestion, frustration, and gridlock — not because of increased vehicles alone, but due to the lingering barricades and elaborate decorative gates that have yet to be dismantled from various neighborhoods across the city.
Despite repeated appeals by the Kolkata Police and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to remove these temporary structures promptly after the festival, many Puja committees have delayed their cleanup operations, resulting in major traffic disruptions across arterial roads.
Post-Puja Kolkata Traffic Chaos: Office Rush Meets Post-Puja Road Clutter
Kolkata, known for its vibrant Puja spirit, transforms during the festive days into a city-wide gallery of art, color, and devotion. Streets once meant for vehicles become pedestrian zones lined with pandals, lights, and decorative arches. However, as the celebrations end, this creative transformation often leaves behind a tangled mess of bamboo barricades, plastic coverings, stage remains, and traffic blocks, converting post-Puja mornings into a nightmare for daily commuters.
The worst affected zones include Gariahat, Rashbehari, Ultadanga, Park Circus, Dum Dum, and College Street, where traffic moves at a crawling pace. Office-goers found themselves stuck in long jams as barricades that guided crowd control during the festival were left standing, narrowing key routes and intersections.
One commuter remarked, “It feels like Puja hangover on the roads. Even after the immersion, the city is struggling to breathe.”
Police Urge Swift Removal, Puja Committees Cite Logistical Delays
The Kolkata Police have issued notices to multiple Puja committees urging immediate removal of gates and barricades. However, several committees have cited “logistical challenges,” lack of labor, and the need for careful dismantling of fragile artistic pieces as reasons for the delay.
A senior traffic officer said, “We cannot dismantle without permission from the organizers. But every extra day of delay causes massive pressure on traffic and public convenience.”
Meanwhile, KMC officials confirmed that they have started sending teams to inspect and clear leftover barricades in some zones. However, with over 3,000 registered Puja pandals across the city, the cleanup effort is proving to be a colossal task.
Commuters Struggle: “Festivities Are Over, But Chaos Continues”
In areas like Lake Gardens, Gariahat, Behala, and Salt Lake, commuters are facing gridlock even during non-peak hours. Public transport operators have also raised concerns. Bus and auto drivers complain that barricades and half-blocked lanes have doubled travel time, while app cab drivers are reporting increased cancellations due to delays.
Office employees said that returning to work after the long Puja holiday has become stressful. “We left home 30 minutes early but still reached late,” said a worker at Sector V. “The roads are full of leftover structures, and it’s impossible to move smoothly.”
The situation is compounded by pedestrians, who continue to use barricade zones for walking, unaware that vehicular traffic has resumed full flow.
Decorative Gates Turn into Bottlenecks
Kolkata’s artistic brilliance during Durga Puja is well known — each year, local artists compete to create elaborate thematic gates and light structures that attract lakhs of visitors. However, these installations, often spanning across roadways and intersections, now stand as obstacles.
In many cases, workers are waiting for special cranes and lifting machines to dismantle large gates made from wood, metal, and glass fiber. Smaller structures can be removed overnight, but massive thematic ones take several days.
A decorator in North Kolkata said, “This year’s rain delayed immersion and dismantling. We are working overtime but need proper permissions before we can clear the area.”
Traffic Management Teams Under Pressure
The Traffic Control Room at Lalbazar has received hundreds of calls from frustrated commuters in the past two days. Officials are trying to reroute traffic through less crowded streets, but the interconnected layout of Kolkata means even minor blockages create chain-reaction jams.
To manage the post-Puja load, police have deployed additional officers at busy intersections like Esplanade, Gariahat, Park Street, and Shyambazar. Portable traffic barricades used during Puja have been removed from many stretches, but those belonging to private committees still remain in several parts of the city.
Public Voices Demand Accountability
Citizens have taken to social media to express anger and demand accountability. Many posted pictures of roadblocks still standing days after immersion, tagging civic authorities and local councillors.
Some called for stricter deadlines and penalties against committees that fail to clear installations on time.
Urban planner Arup Ghosh noted that the problem is not new but is worsening with each passing year. “Kolkata’s Puja landscape has become more artistic but also more road-intensive. We need a mandatory post-festival restoration protocol,” he said.
Civic Officials Promise Quick Action
KMC sources said that civic inspectors have begun surveying Puja sites and issuing reminders to organizers. Mayor Firhad Hakim earlier emphasized that no pandal or barricade should remain beyond the festival week. However, implementation remains patchy across different wards.
A senior civic engineer said, “We have limited manpower. Many decorators work for multiple committees, so simultaneous dismantling is impossible. But we are clearing public roads first.”
KMC’s Solid Waste Management Department has also been tasked with removing plastic sheets, banners, and leftover structures scattered around pandal zones.
A Recurring Post-Puja Challenge
This is not the first time Kolkata has faced this post-Puja congestion. Every year, city traffic takes several days to normalize after the celebrations. However, 2025 appears to be worse than usual, partly due to extended rainfall, larger installations, and the record number of visitors during the festival.
During the Puja week, over 45 lakh visitors moved through the city’s pandals, creating one of the largest public gatherings in recent memory. While authorities successfully managed the crowds, the aftermath has stretched civic systems to their limit.
Need for a Stronger Post-Festival Policy
Experts and civic planners have suggested that Kolkata adopt a strict post-festival dismantling policy similar to other major metros. Possible recommendations include:
- Fixed 48-hour Deadline: Puja committees must clear all gates and barricades within two days after immersion.
- Security Deposit System: Part of each committee’s permission fee could be refunded only after timely removal of installations.
- Civic Collaboration: KMC could create a central database tracking cleanup status ward-wise.
- Public Awareness: Announcements urging committees to remove structures promptly to ease commuter distress.
- Fines for Non-Compliance: Delayed removal beyond five days could attract civic penalties.
Beyond Barricades: Reclaiming the City’s Rhythm
Kolkata is known for its resilience. Within days, the same streets that hosted millions during Puja transform back into commercial corridors. Yet, this transition remains fragile and poorly coordinated. The city’s beauty lies in its rhythm — one that combines festivity and functionality.
Until barricades and gates are removed completely, Kolkata’s heartbeat remains partially obstructed. The sound of honking replaces conch shells, and the joy of the festival gives way to the grind of daily life struggling to move forward.
As the city resets itself post-Puja, officials and citizens alike hope for faster, cleaner transitions in future — where celebrations leave behind only memories, not mess.
External Links for Reference
- Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC)
- Kolkata Police Traffic Department
- West Bengal Transport Department
- Durga Puja Safety Guidelines – Government of West Bengal
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