KOLKATA: Big time Durga puja committees of Behala area, directly connected with the rest of the city through the Majerhat bridge that collapsed early this week, are worried over the footfall in their pandals during the puja days.
A spokesman of the 'Forum for Durgotsav', a platform of 350 Durga puja committees of the city, told PTI that they hoped the Durga Puja turn out in Behala would remain the same like last year.
There are over 30 Puja committees in Behala who are our members.
And we can only hope that things will be sorted out in a month's time.
"This can be done by either constructing two temporary Bailey bridges along the two flanks of the Majerhat bridge or making traffic diversion to other routes," the 'Forum for Durgotsav' president Partha Ghosh said.
The Forum is yet to formally approach the government on the issue, he said adding "but our members are in touch."
The 'SB Park' puja committee in Thakurpukur area of Behala, a popular destination of revellers, had started preparations months ago, puja committee official Amit Ghosh said.
He said "we are concerned that many visitors from north and central parts of the metropolis will not be able to come after the bridge collapse. We are looking for a solution."
A member of 'Barisha Yubak Brinda' said, "If there is less crowd from other parts of the city and elsewhere, our preparations will have little use. We, the smaller pujas, mostly depend on the participation of revellers to make it a success and lesser footfall means a cut in sponsorship next year."
He, however, hoped that the revellers from South 24 Parganas district will make up any dip, in turn, out from northern part of the city and adjoining North 24 Parganas district.
A puja committee member of 'Behala Notun Dal' said while this year's sponsorship had come to them long ago and there was not much to worry on the financial side, they also hoped the crowd would not dwindle "as without revellers the celebrations will lose its lustre."
The spokesman of the 'Debdaru Fatak puja committee' wondered if the main link with northern part remained blocked, then how many would take other routes for pandal hopping in Behala.
However, a member of 'Behala Naskar Pukur Lane' Puja committee said as puja revellers had ignored the potholed roads due to Joka-BBD Bagh metro work in the past few years to throng puja pandals in Behala, "they will find a way out in this year also."