Kolkata civic and police authorities are preparing to use specially designed trolleys for the immersion of large Durga idols at Bajekadamtala and Nimtala ghats, replacing the current practice of lowering the idols from lorries or trailers with cranes. The proposed system is intended to control the movement of large idols on the sloped approach to the Hooghly and improve operational safety during immersion.
Officials of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have already inspected Bajekadamtala Ghat with police personnel as preparations begin. According to information reported by Anandabazar, large idols will be unloaded from lorries or trailers after reaching the ghat and placed on trolleys. The idols will then be moved around the ghat before being taken gradually down the slope towards the water.
The idols will be secured with ropes while they remain on the slope to prevent loss of balance before entering the river. The trolleys are also being designed with brakes because the ghats have sloping surfaces. The braking system is expected to allow workers to regulate the speed of the trolley as it moves towards the water.
A civic official told the newspaper that the trolleys are currently being constructed. Authorities are considering keeping between six and nine trolleys at the two ghats. The number is intended to support the handling of large idols during a period when the ghats face high volumes of activity and several immersion operations may need to be managed at the same time.
Kolkata has 24 ghats where idols are immersed in the Ganga, but Bajekadamtala and Nimtala handle some of the highest numbers. Around 2,000 idols are immersed at Bajekadamtala each year, while Nimtala receives more than 500, according to the report. Large idols have so far been unloaded from transport vehicles with cranes and lowered into the water using the same equipment.
The new method will not eliminate cranes from the operation altogether. The bamboo frameworks left after immersion are expected to continue being lifted with cranes. The change will apply primarily to the movement and lowering of large idols into the river. One concern raised in the report is that trolley-based immersion could take more time than crane-assisted operations. Authorities are therefore considering deploying more workers and maintaining a larger number of trolleys at the sites.
The change is being planned alongside a wider security arrangement for the immersion ghats. Lalbazar has already held a meeting on immersion-related safety. Watchtowers are expected to be installed initially at ghats that draw the largest crowds. Additional police personnel and divers will be deployed at every immersion ghat, while drones and closed-circuit cameras will be used for surveillance.
The final arrangements will determine how the trolley system operates during the immersion process, including the number of units and workers available at each location. The security measures and equipment deployment are expected to be coordinated before the large-idol immersions begin.
