The city police and the district administration every year before every occasion lay out various guidelines or standard operating procedures. The Commissioner of Police issued fresh guidelines recently for the upcoming Durga Puja festivities. Installation of CCTV cameras in and around the pandals is mandatory for surveillance, while committees are also required to set up a 24x7 help desk to assist visitors. Furthermore, a designated emergency area should be created for quick access and evacuation if needed. Only devotional songs during immersion are also an instruction of the guidelines. Similarly, there are many other instructions like keeping the pandal and surrounding areas clean and hygienic, organisers are also required to adhere to noise pollution rules and many other such instructions.
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Last year, during Diwali the guidelines on bursting crackers in Guwahati stated that bursting of 'green crackers' would only be allowed that too only for two hours from 8 PM to 10 PM. Though the timing was restricted till 10 PM, residents heard the noise till around 2 AM from many areas of the city and hardly any police action was seen. Similarly, during Durga Puja functions in pandals were not allowed after certain time at night. Many pandals were seen violating norms. This year only devotional songs are allowed during immersion of the idols, it will have to be seen how many processions will play only devotional songs. Even during Holi and many other occasions many instructions are laid but how far the orders are enforced remains a questions.
It can just be hoped that the authorities only for the sake of gaining publicity do not keep chanting “order, order”!