Kolkata police carried out an awareness drive against flying kites near flyovers on Thursday, the eve of Vishwakarma Puja.
Police stations lined up near Park Circus and EM Bypass adjoining Parama flyover announced through microphones that people should be careful and ideally avoid flying kites near the flyover that could potentially cause accidents.
Vishwakarma Puja — a day when kites are flown as a mark of ritual and tradition —would be celebrated in the city on Thursday.
“We requested residents not to fly kites near flyovers. We tried to explain them that the strings are likely to cause accidents,” said an officer of Topsia police station.
Officers from Beniapukur, Topsia, Karaya and Pragati Maidan police stations carried out the awareness drive on Thursday.
Incidents of motorcyclists getting injured on AJC Bose flyover and Parama flyover because of kite strings are common.
As a precautionary measure, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority has started installing wire fencing along the accident-prone stretches of the Parama flyover, which have been identified as most dangerous.
However, cops apprehend that the number of kites and kite string related accidents may increase on Vishwakarma Puja.
Senior officers in Lalbazar said there would be extra deployment on the flyovers on Friday to anually remove kite strings, if any, to prevent accidents.
An officer of the traffic department said the frequency of the movement of the wrecker van from one end of the flyover to another to clear kite strings will be increased on Friday.
“The flyovers would be under drone surveillance tomorrow. The drones would be monitored from both the local police stations and the police headquarters at Lalbazar,” said an officer at Lalbazar.
