Kolkata’s Chhath Puja preparations received a safety and civic-management review on Thursday as state Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul inspected four city ghats and directed officials to ensure arrangements for devotees. The inspection covered sanitation, lighting, safe movement and crowd control ahead of the festival.
Paul visited Dahi Ghat, Takta Ghat, Judges Ghat and Bichali Ghat during the review. Kolkata Municipal Corporation administrator Smita Pandey, police officers and other officials accompanied her, according to a report by Sanmarg – Kolkata.
The inspection placed basic public infrastructure at the centre of the city’s preparations. At the ghats, officials reviewed cleanliness arrangements, the availability of adequate lighting and measures intended to enable devotees to move safely through the sites. Crowd management was also included in the assessment, reflecting the operational demands placed on public waterfront spaces during a major religious gathering.
The minister instructed the officials involved to ensure that all necessary facilities for devotees were put in place during Chhath Puja. The direction covered arrangements intended to improve convenience and safety at the inspected locations, although the report did not provide details of specific works, deployment numbers, budgets or completion deadlines.
The presence of municipal, police and administrative officials indicates that ghat preparedness involves coordination across civic services and public safety agencies. Cleanliness and lighting fall within the immediate service environment experienced by visitors, while access and crowd control require coordination around movement through and around the ghats.
For Kolkata, the review also highlights how temporary festival infrastructure depends on the readiness of existing public spaces. Ghats that serve as everyday waterfront areas must accommodate concentrated visitor movement during religious observances, making sanitation, visibility and orderly access important parts of event management.
The report did not specify whether any deficiencies were identified during the inspection or whether additional measures would be introduced at the four locations. It also did not state the broader number of ghats covered by the city’s preparations. The next operational milestone is the completion of the arrangements directed by the minister before devotees use the ghats for Chhath Puja.
