Puri, July 8, (OT Webdesk): The holy town of Puri, revered for the Jagannath Temple and its vibrant festivals, is now grappling with a crisis that extends beyond spiritual fervour: relentless traffic congestion.
Once limited to major rituals like Rath Yatra and Sunabesha, gridlocks have now become an everyday ordeal for residents and pilgrims alike.
On Sunabesha day alone, over 50,000 vehicles—including 25,000 four-wheelers and an equal number of two-wheelers—poured into the city within hours, crippling traffic and causing massive delays.
The Grand Road, Puri’s central artery, became the epicenter of chaos.
Senior police officer ADG Dayal Gangwar admitted that the traffic influx exceeded their management capacity.
Key junctions like Malatipatpur and Batagaon turned into pressure points, where two-lane highways narrowed down to single lanes, throttling traffic flow.
Experts and urban planners argue that quick fixes will no longer suffice. “Temporary diversions and barricades aren’t sustainable. Puri needs long-term solutions like outer-city parking linked to shuttle services,” emphasized road safety expert Subrat Nanda.
Adding urgency to the matter, senior servitor Damodar Pradhani warned that even less-publicised rituals are drawing overwhelming crowds.
He proposed constructing a dedicated flyover and establishing permanent crowd control infrastructure to safeguard both spiritual sanctity and public safety.
As the city braces for Niladri Bije, stakeholders are calling for a sustainable traffic management blueprint—one that blends infrastructure reform with visionary planning to uphold Puri’s spiritual legacy without sacrificing logistical stability.
