Even as panic grips coastal Odisha in view of the warning of a cyclonic storm on October 12, the Steel City here is all geared up to observe annual Durga Puja with much fervour.
To ensure a hassle-free Durga Puja celebration, the district administration has chalked out an elaborate plan. For smooth monitoring of the whole gamut of activities, a Central Puja Committee has been formed under the aegis of the district administration taking representatives from different political parties and puja committees of the city in which the SP, Rourkela is the chairman and the ADM is the president.
For a smooth darsan of devotees, all the 97 puja committees have been requested to provide 20 volunteers each to their local police station for crowd and traffic management. In certain areas, anticipating a huge turnout of devotees, vehicles would be diverted to avoid congestion near the puja pandals. Besides, the puja committees have been asked to have space for parking vehicles near the mandaps.
The SP has warned that tough action would be taken against trouble mongers. The puja committees have been instructed to install closed circuit television cameras to keep watch on the disturbing elements.
Though as per the schedule, the immersion will be held on October 15, but a number of puja committees like Sector-1 Old and Sector-14 have requested to defer their immersion as this year they are celebrating their golden jubilee year.
Hence, these committees would have their special immersions.
Both the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) and Government agencies are working hand in hand to provide basic services during the festive time, including smooth road, uninterrupted supply of electricity and water.
This year, the Puja Mandaps of Sectro-1 old will have a structure of the Konark Temple, while Sector-2 will have Budha Temple of Myanmar , Sector-4 Bishnu Temple, Sector-7 Jala Jahaja ship, Sector-8 Rajasthan Kahndar, Sector-14 Ujjayanta Palace of Tripura, Sector-16 Akhsyaradham temple at Gandhinagara, Sector-17 Umed Bhawan, Sector-18 Shantistupa of Japan, Ispat Market symbol of national integration, Sector - 20 ( D block) Taj Hotel in Mumbai and Civil Township will erect a sculpture alike Vaishnodevi Temple Cave.
These apart, fairs would be arranged in different mandaps at Sector-1 old, sector-2, Telephone Bhawan, Sector-16, Sector-14 for attracting the visitors.