Guwahati: With Durga Puja preparations in full swing, the Guwahati Police Commissionerate has released a detailed set of guidelines, stressing the importance of public safety during the festivities.
Puja committees are now required to ensure round-the-clock security, especially during the night, when pandals are unoccupied, and to provide logistical support and accommodation for police personnel deployed at these sites.
The advisory underlines maintaining public harmony at all times and refraining from any actions, expressions, or displays that could disrupt communal peace or offend the sentiments of any community.
The detailed advisory aims to ensure public safety, environmental responsibility, and smooth conduct of celebrations.
Organizers have been instructed to obtain prior permission from the jurisdictional Deputy Commissioners of Police for setting up puja pandals in public spaces.
Fitness certificates for electrical fittings, sound systems, and structural safety must be secured in advance. Fire safety equipment must be available.
As per the advisory, pandals must not be erected on public thoroughfares, and no road blockades are permitted. Crowd control measures must be in place to ensure uninterrupted vehicular movement, with separate entry and exit barricades for men and women.
Committees must submit a list of volunteers to the nearest police station and ensure they are briefed and identifiable.
Loudspeakers must not exceed 55 dB(A) from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM and 45 dB(A) from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. CCTV surveillance, proper lighting, and a 24/7 help desk are compulsory at all major pandals.
Puja sites must be marked as no-tobacco and no-alcohol zones. Committees have been directed to use only biodegradable materials for pandal decorations and idols, avoid non-eco-friendly substances like plastic, and ensure immersion processes follow district administration guidelines. Pollution of water bodies has been strictly banned, with police urging eco-friendly immersion practices.
ALSO READ: Assam down town University to host ‘School Excellence Conclave 2025’
To prevent accidents, the use of inflammable materials within pandals and the bursting of firecrackers during immersion processions have been barred. Parking within 100 meters of pandals will not be allowed.
The Guwahati Police has appealed to all Puja committees, volunteers, and the public to extend full cooperation in ensuring Durga Puja 2025 remains a peaceful, inclusive, and joyous celebration.
