Silchar: Durga Puja in Silchar this year will focus on responsibility as much as celebration. Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner Srishti Singh, has urged all puja committees to strictly avoid single-use plastic, keep separate dustbins for solid and liquid waste, and ensure proper parking arrangements to avoid traffic chaos.

At a preparatory meeting held Wednesday at the SMC office, Singh announced the launch of Clean Pandal Awards. In partnership with the Shrishti Waste Management Team, inspections will be carried out at pandals across the city. The three best-maintained pandals will be recognised for hygiene and waste management. Singh said the initiative aims to place cleanliness on par with decoration, making Silchar’s puja a model for the rest of Assam.

The meeting saw participation from senior officials of the Police, Forest Department, APDCL, Health Services, Inland Water Transport, PWD, NHIDCL, DDMA, Fire Service and other departments. Discussions covered idol immersion, safety, crowd and traffic management, medical services, power supply, road repair and sanitation. Each department committed to coordinated action.

Clear directives were issued to repair roads and restore faulty high-mast lights before the festival. Parking zones must be identified near pandals, and unauthorized roadside parking will be penalised.

Police assured deployment at ghats and key junctions, while magistrates and circle officers will remain on duty to maintain order. The Forest Department will provide sand and soil for immersion, and Inland Water Transport confirmed boat arrangements.

Udharbond MLA Mihir Kanti Shome also stressed uninterrupted water supply, repair of broken light posts, and smooth traffic flow so that civic shortcomings do not mar the festival. “Durga Puja is not only a celebration of faith but also a test of civic preparedness. Clean water, proper lighting and safe mobility must be guaranteed for all,” he said.

The Shrishti Waste Management Team reiterated the ban on plastics, promoted eco-friendly alternatives like banana leaves and biodegradable plates, and promised dustbins at every pandal and ghat. Volunteers’ lists will be shared with committees, and lime and bleaching powder will be applied after immersions. Committees ignoring these directions will face action from SMC.

To prevent overcrowding, immersions will be spread over two days this year. Committees have been asked to arrange at least ten labourers for carrying idols. Singh appealed for public cooperation to maintain discipline and civic order throughout the celebrations.

The meeting ended with a message of collective responsibility. Civic agencies, police, puja committees and citizens were called to make Durga Puja 2025 in Silchar not only a grand cultural event but also a benchmark of cleanliness, safety and environmental responsibility for the Barak Valley.

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