Durga Puja immersion safety measures are being tightened across north Bengal after a stampede at the Chorebagan Durga Puja in north Calcutta claimed lives, with the irrigation department, police and district administrations ordered to regulate crowds and restrict access to hazardous river areas.
The decision followed a virtual meeting held on Sunday by the principal secretary of the state irrigation department with senior engineers and the district magistrates of Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Darjeeling. An SOP outlining safety arrangements for idol immersion was circulated to the districts after the meeting.
Under the new arrangements, between four and 10 CCTV cameras will be installed at each immersion ghat, depending on its size and layout. The cameras will cover entrances, surrounding areas and designated immersion points. Local police stations, block development officers, disaster management teams and civil defence personnel will monitor the footage using laptops and mobile devices, according to a source quoted in the report.
Idols will be permitted to be immersed only at officially designated ghats. Local police and administrative officials will inform puja organisers about the locations assigned to their committees. Immersion will take place from the designated ghat, while members of the public will be prohibited from entering the river.
Barricades will be installed at locations where the water is particularly deep or poses a safety risk. Block authorities and municipalities will use bamboo barricades in areas where riverbeds become dangerous, while officials will regularly assess water depth near immersion points. Access will be restricted wherever sudden drops or hazardous increases in depth are identified. The police will be responsible for crowd management, enforcing restrictions and maintaining security at the ghats.
The measures are also intended to address the risk of rapidly changing river conditions in north Bengal. Eight people died when a sudden flash flood swept through the Mal river in Jalpaiguri district during Durga idol immersion in 2022. In October 2023, flooding in the Teesta river followed a glacial lake outburst flood in Sikkim.
The report said the risk remains significant across the Dooars, where rivers originate in or are connected to mountainous areas of Sikkim, Kalimpong and Bhutan. Heavy rainfall in those regions can cause downstream water levels to rise quickly, even when conditions appear calm at immersion sites. Intermittent heavy rain was reported in most north Bengal districts on Saturday night, while the Meteorological office forecast the possibility of more rain during the festive period.
Krishnendu Bhowmik, chief engineer (northeast) of the state irrigation department, said preparations were being made in view of weather forecasts. “We have asked SDOs and joint BDOs to inspect the immersion ghats in coordination with the police and local administration. The inspections must be completed by Tuesday,” he said.
The enhanced monitoring system will also apply during the upcoming Kali Puja and Chhath Puja. The immediate administrative milestone is the completion of ghat inspections by Tuesday, followed by the installation of surveillance and barricading arrangements at identified risk points.
