The Kolkata Police and civic authorities have intensified safety arrangements for idol immersions across 27 ghats after the Chorbagan incident, restricting access near the river, issuing loudspeaker warnings ahead of high tide and deploying marine rescue teams, medical units and civic workers through October 24.
Immersions began on Dashami, with 604 idols completed by 6 pm, according to the report. Authorities said additional precautions were being taken during the immersion process, particularly at night, when announcements are being made well before the arrival of high tide to warn people at the ghats.
Only people directly involved in the immersion process are being allowed near the ghats. Those carrying out immersions are also not being permitted to enter too far into the river. Boats operated by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority are being used for surveillance along the waterways.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has arranged immersion facilities at 27 ghats from October 21 to October 24, operating around the clock. The listed locations include Bajekadamtala Ghat, Judges Ghat, Doi Ghat, Nimtala Ghat, Ahiritola Ghat, Bichalighat, Shobhabazar Ghat, Ratan Babu Ghat, Sarbamangal Ghat and Kumartuli Ghat.
A total of 611 personnel from different municipal departments have been deployed for the operation. The coordination network includes the Kolkata Police, the civic body’s parks, solid waste management, lighting, construction and health departments, as well as the irrigation department, disaster management and civil defence units, the National Disaster Response Force and the port authority.
Medical support includes 43 medical teams and seven ambulances. Eight vector-control teams have also been assigned to address mosquito-borne disease risks around the immersion sites. The civic arrangements include 12 bio-toilets, 28 drinking-water tankers, adequate lighting and loudspeaker announcements carrying instructions for visitors and immersion participants.
Water rescue preparations have been concentrated along the stretch from Ratan Babu Ghat to Bichalighat. Eight NDRF teams, each comprising 35 personnel, have been deployed in the waterway. In addition, 56 civil-defence volunteers are on standby with seven motorised boats, life jackets, life buoys and divers.
The arrangements place the immersion process within a broader inter-agency operation involving crowd access, river safety, emergency medical response, sanitation, lighting and post-immersion management. The municipal press release issued on Wednesday outlined these measures as part of the effort to complete the city’s Durga Puja immersions safely and without disruption through October 24.
