Guwahati: Managing the expected rush of visitors is likely to be a major challenge for Jai Hind Club this Durga Puja, with the narrow lane leading to its Pandu pandal raising concerns over pedestrian and vehicular movement.The pandal drew a massive turnout last year, leaving organisers struggling to regulate crowds on the congested approach road. With devotees and vehicles forced to share the limited stretch, movement became particularly difficult during peak visiting hours.“The roads are quite narrow, and during peak hours it is very difficult for people to reach here. The heavy footfall, coupled with limited space along the approach road, leads to congestion,” said Subhankar Dey, assistant general secretary of Jai Hind Club.The club’s pandal had attracted an unexpectedly large number of visitors last year, especially following the death of singer Zubeen Garg, committee members said. The turnout made crowd management difficult and exposed the limitations of the narrow approach road.This year, the organisers are expecting another substantial footfall and have planned measures to ease the pressure. Vehicles will be parked away from the pandal to keep the approach lane clear and allow visitors to move on foot.“With vehicles parked at a distance, people will be able to move around more freely, visit other pandals in the area and enjoy our pandal without much difficulty,” Dey said.However, the restricted width of the road remains a concern. The simultaneous movement of pedestrians, vehicles and emergency traffic could lead to bottlenecks, particularly during the evening rush.The organisers said they would focus on regulating visitor movement, maintaining crowd control and ensuring the safety of devotees. But with last year’s footfall setting a high benchmark, the narrow road is expected to remain the biggest challenge for the club during the celebrations.
