Traffic arrangements smooth

By being one of the few annual events in Tamil Nadu to attract such a large crowd, Lord Kallazhagar’s entry into the Vaigai river in Madurai, the highpoint of the Chithirai festival, is also a challenging event for the police in terms of crowd management and traffic regulation.

This year was no different. However, with enhanced monitoring and quicker response, apart from implementing the routine traffic diversions being adopted for the past few years, the Madurai city police had ensured that the traffic arrangements were smooth, barring a few hiccups in some places.

The key traffic diversions included the blocking of movement of vehicles on Albert Victor bridge, Yanaikkal bridge and the new bridge across the Vaigai at Sellur, thereby necessitating longer routes for vehicles going from one side of the Vaigai to the other. Barricades were erected in almost all the roads leading to Tallakulam and Goripalayam, the route taken by Lord Kallazhagar.

Arun Balagopalan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said that they had deployed a total of 320 traffic police personnel, including two Assistant Commissioners, for the event. “We had around seven Inspectors in the vicinity of Lord Kallazhagar’s procession,” he said.

He said that officers in the field were given more decision-making powers, which ensured quicker response in places that witnessed congestion. “Importantly, areas in the vicinity of the procession were continuously monitored by the control room at frequent intervals, which enabled us to anticipate the bottlenecks and act accordingly,” he added. A Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation driver, requesting anonymity, alleged that the congestion in Simmakkal in the morning was inefficiently handled.

Mr. Arun, however, said that minor inconveniences during such a large event was unavoidable. “Importantly, the locals understand the situation and cooperate well,” he added.