TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: During the opening and closing ceremonies of the 44th International Film Festival of India ~ November 20 and 30, respectively ~ the entire stretch from Dayanand Bandodkar Marg from ferry wharf to Miramar circle will be closed for vehicles from 3 pm until the ceremony concludes. Only vehicles with festival passes will be allowed beyond Kala Academy junction, Miramar circle and Fire Brigade Junction to proceed to their respective parking lots, as the festival begins today.
Residents are dreading the traffic jams and the confusion as IFFI begins with the glittering opening ceremony that will see Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon as chief guest. Also in attendance will be Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari and actors Kamal Haasan and Rekha and singer Asha Bhonsle.
The 10-day event will screen 327 films, 80 per cent of them in digital format. The competition section has 15 films, of which two are Indian, including Coffin Maker by Veena Bakshi.
However, locals will have to live with the major traffic jams as there is only one road connecting Dona Paula to the city and a major Achilles heel in the road in front of the St Inez church. Residents from the Campal area will have a repeat of the annual nightmare where they may not even be able to get out of their houses due to the excruciating traffic snarls and parking in front of their houses.
For the remaining days, other vehicles on D B Marg coming from KTC bus stand towards Miramar will be diverted at ferry wharf towards Panjim police headquarters to take the road via Printing Press-St Inez-Caculo Mall and at Hotel Goa International, Tonca.
Also vehicles coming from Miramar/Dona Paula towards KTC will be diverted from Miramar Circle to proceed via Hotel Goa International–Caculo Mall–St Inez and at Campal Ganesh to proceed towards Fire Brigade Junction for their onward journey.
Meanwhile, the INOX lane leading to D B Marg from Panjim market will be closed near CCP market complex throughout the 11 days. The traffic cell has also imposed restriction on parking at Dr Pissurlekar road; from the corner of Menezes Braganza Institute to Police Head Quarters main gate will be a ‘No Parking Zone’ till the conclusion of the festival.
During the opening ceremony, vehicles with VVIP passes will be allowed to park in the Kala Academy campus whereas vehicles with all other passes such as VIP, Invitee, Official, Media and IFFI Van will be allowed to park on the SAG and Parade Grounds.
