No obscene dance, laser show in Bhubaneswar pujas this year: BMC

With the festive season around the corner, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) enforced strict new guidelines on Thursday to ensure a cleaner and more disciplined celebration of Durga Puja in the Capital City.

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In a key decision taken during the Durga Puja preparation meeting, the BMC announced a complete ban on obscene dance performances and laser shows at Puja venues. Further, stray dogs will be removed from the vicinity of pandals for safety and hygiene reasons.

The BMC has also emphasised the need for dedicated parking zones. Organisers failing to arrange parking will not be allowed to host Meena Bazaars or conduct Ravan Dahan events. All Puja celebrations are to be plastic-free, the civic body emphasised.

Puja committees will not be allowed to erect Toranas (decorative gates) on the main roads. Control rooms will be set up at all immersion points, and ambulances will be stationed near pandals and ponds for emergencies.

Road repairs must be completed before the Puja begins. To assist with this, each ward will receive Rs 5 lakh for urgent patchwork. However, the meeting saw heated debates over power supply issues, signaling possible challenges ahead.

“All grievances will be resolved within 48 hours. It was also decided in the meeting that WATCO and other line departments will not cause any damage to the roads this month. We will ensure no fresh road cutting is done,” BMC Commissioner Chanchal Rana said.

“Advisory from the local police is already there on the puja celebrations. Vulgar dances will not be allowed at puja pandals. DJ music and laser light shows have also been banned. Most importantly, emphasis was given to the convenient movement of people and parking of vehicles during the upcoming festival,” BMC Mayor Sulochana Das stated.