Guwahati: Ahead of the Chhath Puja festivities on October 27 and 28, the Guwahati Traffic Police has issued a detailed traffic advisory to regulate vehicular movement and ensure public safety. The restrictions will be effective from 11:00 AM on October 27 and will remain in place until 11:00 AM on October 28.
According to the advisory, commercial and heavy goods vehicles will not be allowed to enter Guwahati during the restriction period. Traffic movement on M.G. Road, between Machkhowa Point and Chief Justice’s Bungalow Point, will be restricted to vehicles carrying devotees and puja materials. Slow-moving vehicles such as rickshaws and handcarts will also be barred on this stretch, except those assisting with puja activities.
City buses travelling from Khanapara towards Bharalumukh will operate via G.S. Road and A.T. Road, avoiding the Panbazar ROB. Meanwhile, inter-district ASTC and rural buses coming from Jalukbari will be diverted through NH-27 and will not enter the city. Devotees have also been advised to use four-wheeler vehicles, as six-wheelers will not be permitted. Traffic movement on H.B. Road, from Sani Mandir to Panbazar Police Point, will be allowed in both directions. Parking inside Lachit Ghat will remain strictly prohibited.
The Traffic Police has also announced diversion routes to ease congestion. Vehicles from Bharalumukh heading towards Panbazar or Chandmari will be diverted at the Machkhowa Elevated Corridor via H.B. Road (through T.R.P. Road) or A.T. Road. Those travelling from Chandmari towards Bharalumukh or Jalukbari will be redirected at N.B. Hall Point via H.B. Road. Additionally, light vehicles from Uzanbazar or Latasil will be rerouted through Planetarium Point, Lamb Road, F.C. Road, Tayebulla Point, G.N.B. Road and District Library before merging at N.B. Hall Point.
For parking, vehicles carrying devotees from the Bharalumukh side may use designated locations at Lakhi Goli, Chamber Road, M.S. Road, S.R.C.B. Road, and the market-side stretch of M.G. Road. At Sonaram Higher Secondary School Ghat, all vehicles must be parked exclusively inside the field.
Several roads have been declared no-parking zones, including A.T. Road (Bharalumukh to Panbazar Overbridge south point) from 7:00 AM on October 27 until the completion of rituals on October 28. Parking restrictions will also be enforced along M.L.N. Road, A.R.B. Road, S.S. Road, S.R.C.B. Road, H.B. Road, and T.R.P. Road, with heavy commercial vehicles banned from parking across key bylanes such as Lakhi Gali and Chamber Road.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) has urged Puja Committees to avoid parking near ghats, display clear parking signboards and deploy volunteers to manage crowds and vehicles. Devotees arriving by car have been encouraged to park systematically and refrain from blocking roads.
The advisory aims to ensure the smooth and safe conduct of Chhath Puja rituals along Guwahati’s riverfront ghats while minimizing inconvenience to commuters.
