Kolkata puja pandals will provide special lounges, wheelchair ramps and tea for elderly and disabled visitors, under an initiative announced by state municipal affairs and urban development minister Agnimitra Paul. The plan is intended to make it easier for visitors with limited mobility to rest and access pandal spaces during the upcoming festivities.
Paul said the lounges would allow elderly citizens and disabled visitors to sit and recover before proceeding towards the pandal area. The facilities will also provide tea, according to the minister’s statement reported by the Times of India.
For wheelchair users, ramps will lead directly to a viewing area from where they can see the idols and decorations inside the pandals. The announcement does not specify the number of pandals covered, the locations where the lounges and ramps will be installed, or the timeline for completing the arrangements.
The proposed facilities place accessibility within the operational planning of large public gatherings, where visitors may need to move through temporary entrances, walkways and viewing areas. By creating a resting point and a designated route for wheelchairs, the state government is seeking to address two practical barriers faced by visitors who may not be able to stand or navigate crowded spaces for long periods.
The initiative will also involve the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Paul said the civic body would be asked to place adequate waste bins at the pandals, particularly because visitors are expected to consume snacks during their visits. She appealed to residents to cooperate with KMC volunteers and dispose of food containers and leftovers in the bins rather than leaving them on the puja grounds.
The waste-management request links visitor behaviour with the upkeep of temporary public spaces. KMC volunteers are expected to help declutter the grounds, while the additional bins are intended to support cleaner conditions around the pandals. The minister described keeping the areas clean as a shared responsibility between civic authorities and visitors.
The announcement covers visitor amenities, wheelchair access and waste management, but further operational details, including the number of facilities and the pandals selected, were not provided in the statement. The next step will be for the state government and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to translate the proposals into arrangements at individual puja venues.
