Kolkata has prepared 163 designated ghats and water bodies for Chhath Puja, while police and civic authorities have announced restrictions on fireworks, DJs, vehicle movement and access to ecologically protected lakes during Sunday’s evening rituals and Monday’s dawn prayers.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has arranged 124 ghats, including 30 along the Hooghly, two along Tolly’s Nullah, 86 local ponds and two artificial ponds. The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority has made arrangements at another 39 ghats across the city.
Devotees have been permitted to perform rituals only at designated ghats and temporary artificial ponds. Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar, both ecologically protected lakes, will remain off-limits during the festival.
Kolkata Police has cancelled leave and prepared deployment plans for the celebrations. Police stations have been instructed to follow guidelines issued by senior officers at Lalbazar, with senior officers leading teams at officially designated locations. Plainclothes personnel will monitor ghats and water bodies, while Disaster Management Group teams will be deployed at vulnerable spots to reduce the risk of accidents, including drowning.
The KMC and police have installed bamboo barricades and floating markers along ghats, ponds and water bodies. A senior KMC official said the measures were intended to warn devotees about sudden drop-offs and strong tidal currents in the Hooghly. Temporary watchtowers and high-mast lights have also been installed to make water-body boundaries visible during the evening Sandhya Arghya and pre-dawn Usha Arghya rituals.
Access routes will include barricaded pathways along the banks to regulate pedestrian movement and reduce congestion. Mayer Ghat in Bagbazar will remain closed during Chhath Puja. Devotees have been directed to use Kashi Mitra Ghat as an alternative, while Kumartuli, Chapatala and Bagbazar ghats can also be used for rituals.
Firecrackers will be permitted only between 6am and 8am under the timing announced by the state government. State home secretary Sanghamita Ghosh said on October 29 that, in accordance with court orders, crackers during Chhath could be burst only between those hours. Police have clarified that fireworks will not be allowed on Sunday evening during the Sandhya Arghya ritual. Only green crackers will be allowed during the permitted period; shells, chocolate bombs and other high-noise crackers remain prohibited.
DJs are prohibited, and Chhath vehicles cannot use flyovers. Kolkata Police said officers would register cases, seize sound equipment and prosecute offenders if DJs accompanied processions or Chhath vehicles. The same enforcement will apply to banned crackers or fireworks used outside the permitted hours.
Goods vehicles carrying devotees may use surface roads outside restricted zones but cannot enter the area around Victoria Memorial. Passenger boarding and alighting are prohibited on several roads leading to the ghats, including Red Road, Strand Road, Nimtolla Ghat Street, Beadon Street, Bidhan Sarani, Kidderpore Road and Picnic Garden Road.
Devotees have also been barred from dumping non-biodegradable material, ghee or oil into the Hooghly, ponds and other water bodies. Environmentalist Subhas Dutta said the restriction was intended to protect biodiversity and aquatic animals during the festival. Police, civic agencies and Chhath Puja committees are expected to coordinate at local ponds and designated water bodies through the two ritual periods.
