BMC Gears Up for Durga Puja, Finalises Preparations for Smooth Festivities

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday held a preparatory meeting to finalise arrangements for Durga Puja and idol immersion ceremonies, ensuring smooth and safe celebrations across the city.

The meeting was chaired by Mayor Sulochana Das and attended by BMC Commissioner Chanchal Rana, Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahu, City Engineer Narad Chandra Rath, Chief Finance Officer Deepak Ranjan Behera, Cultural Standing Committee Chairman Ramchandra Ransingh, corporators, puja committee representatives, and officials from multiple departments.

According to BMC, around 172 pandals will host Durga Puja within its jurisdiction this year. Ahead of the festivities, the civic body has undertaken road repairs, trimming of tree branches, electrical maintenance, and covering of open drains. Potholes are also being repaired on a priority basis.

The Mayor and Commissioner urged puja committees to highlight any pending issues, assuring that all works would be completed by September 25. Zonal Commissioners have been directed to personally inspect sites to ensure readiness.

Directives issued to puja committees include:

• Ensuring fire safety measures with sandbags near pandals.
• Avoiding use of single-use plastic and spreading awareness.
• Not installing advertisement hoardings on main roads or intersections.
• Deploying sanitation workers and ensuring waste segregation.
• Handing over puja flowers to designated vehicles for disposal.
• Arranging water sprinkling in dust-prone areas.
• Providing parking facilities and coordinating with police for traffic management.
• Ensuring idol immersion only in temporary ponds designated for the purpose.

The Mayor also announced that the “Cleanest Pandal Award” will be introduced to encourage committees to prioritise hygiene. Post-immersion, puja committees, BMC staff, and local residents will participate in a mass cleanliness drive around pandal areas.

On the sidelines of the meeting, several puja committees raised concerns regarding road repairs, electrical maintenance, and tree trimming. The Commissioner directed officials to address these issues immediately. Additional Commissioner Kailash Chandra Das has been tasked with overall coordination of the preparations.