KOLKATA: The city police will arrest anyone who uses manja, either Chinese or Indian, laced with glass powder to fly kites on Vishwakarma Puja. They will also use drones over Maa and AJC Bose Road flyovers to keep an eye on kites being flown during the festival. Special raid teams will be deployed across several parts of the city to ensure that the Calcutta high court order banning use of Chinese manja is upheld.
There have been 16 accidents and injuries on Maa and AJC Bose Road flyovers related to Chinese manja in the past four months. A special police team will patrol the flyover on Friday when maximum kites are expected to be flown.
All police stations in the Karaya-Beniapukur-Tiljala-Topsia belt have been alerted by Lalbazar to carry out awareness drives and help has been sought from community leaders and NGO workers as well.
The plan was finalized after meetings attended by senior officers at Lalbazar on Wednesday and Thursday. Kolkata Police commissioner Somen Mitra asked the local cops and the detective department to help traffic police stop manja-related accidents.
“We will also carry out special raids through the night to ensure there is no sale of such manja. Those on night checks at the various border areas have been asked to see such thread is not being sneaked into the city from Howrah or North 24 Parganas,” said a source.
The police top brass also ordered a number of changes in patrolling. “The divisions have been instructed to reorient their deployment of RCP vehicles and PCR vans to cover the remotest corners at night. Cops have been told to play a leading role if anyone approaches for help.
All police vehicles on duty have been asked to use sirens while moving from one place to another so that they are audible and visible from a distance. The top brass also asked senior officers of each division to recheck the placement of nakas and include areas which have reported the maximum violations,” said an officer.
Divisional commissioners and OCs have also been asked to play a more proactive role in night policing, especially on the main roads.
“Vishwakarma Puja immersions will begin from Saturday and we have been asked to be on alert. Night patrols will begin at 10pm and nakas an hour later, when the restrictions begin. Special focus will be on south Kolkata, since Bhowanipore has a high-voltage byelection on September 30 where chief minister Mamata Banerjee is a candidate. On Wednesday night, DC (South) Akash Magharia himself led the naka at Park Street,” an officer said.
Between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, 1,310 vehicles were checked and 361 of them prosecuted. The east guard prosecuted 64 motorists, followed by Ultadanga traffic guard with 40 challans and Sealdah traffic guard with 21.
