Kolkata has deployed additional police and rescue teams across 28 Ganga ghats, five Adi Ganga ghats and 34 water bodies and lakes to manage Durga Puja idol immersions and prevent accidents. Police pickets have also been placed at nearly 200 important intersections and areas across the city.
The arrangements, reported by Sangbad Pratidin on Wednesday, involve the Kolkata Police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The deployment began from Tuesday afternoon, ahead of the first day of immersions, when household idols and some community puja idols are usually taken to water bodies.
The main immersion locations include Dahi Ghat in Khidderpore, Babughat, Ahiritola Ghat, Kumartuli and Bajekadam Tala. The largest number of immersions generally takes place at Bajekadam Tala, Nimtala and Judges Ghat, where additional security measures have been put in place.
The municipal corporation has formed separate teams for the ghats, with personnel scheduled to patrol from the morning until late at night. The civic body has also said that smaller community pujas and household idols will receive the same level of attention as larger pujas, particularly where immersions are planned in local ponds and other water bodies.
Additional instructions have been issued for safety and cleanliness at these locations. Dustbins have been placed at the ghats, while municipal sanitation workers will be deployed from Dashami to support cleaning operations. The report said the police have also issued special directions to maintain cleanliness during the immersion period.
A total of 25 life-saving boats will be available on the Ganga, carrying police personnel, trained boatmen and rescue workers. Four motorised boats are patrolling the areas around Nimtala, Bajekadam Tala, Gwalior Ghat and Garden Reach. The boats have been equipped with ropes and hooks for rescue operations.
Disaster Management Group personnel trained in swimming have also been deployed at the four priority ghats. The report said DMG teams will be present at at least 30 Ganga ghats and water bodies. Their deployment is intended to support emergency response during the period of concentrated immersion activity.
The arrangements cover not only the principal riverfront ghats but also smaller and local immersion sites, reflecting the city’s dispersed immersion pattern. Police and civic teams are expected to remain deployed through the immersion operations, with the municipal corporation responsible for sanitation and local preparations and the police overseeing security, patrols and emergency coordination.
