Park vehicles at your risk

BHUBANESWAR: Be cautious about where you park your vehicle while pandal hopping. Chances are, if you have parked wrongly, your car might be towed and a fine of Rs 500 slapped on you.When everyone is busy enjoying the puja revelry, the traffic police of Bhubaneswar is working round-the-clock to keep the swelling traffic under control. Till now, many vehicles have been towed and fined. More officers have been deployed at vantage points to prevent traffic snarl-up.With parking remaining a thorn in traffic management, special zones have been demarcated near the pandals for the puja revelers. But usually they fall short and people park their vehicles at every available space blocking the thoroughfares.The pandals alongside the roads add to the mess with  people slowing down their vehicles for a glance of the Goddess. This cripples the traffic. Shahid Nagar and Unit-2 pandals witness similar scenes.ACP Traffic, Nirmal Sathpathy attributed the present traffic situation in the City to lack of planning by BDA. In the absence of adequate parking space at major malls and shopping complex, the city roads remain chock-a-block with vehicles. The problem worsens during the Puja,” Satpathy said.On the day of immersion, Janpath will be blocked for the procession. However, it will be done in a phased manner so that traffic is not completely paralysed. The City denizens have been advised to use alternate routes to prevent inconvenience.