The Bengal government has deployed nine IPS officers with experience in managing Durga Puja crowds in Kolkata, a day after a pandal stampede killed 19 people and raised concerns over crowd control, police deployment and organiser preparedness. Kolkata Police has also issued an 11-point advisory for personnel on duty at major Durga Puja venues.
The deployment was announced on Sunday, according to an official quoted by PTI. The officers assigned to festival crowd-management duties include Sumanjit Ray, IG (Border); Mehmud Akhtar, IG (IB); Miraj Khalid, IG (Traffic); Rupesh Kumar, DIG (STF); Shubhankar Bhattacharya, DIG (Traffic); Tarun Haldar, DIG (CID); Soumya Ray, SS (EB); Priyabrata Ray, SP (Traffic); and Deepak Sarkar, SS (CID).
“These officers have experience in handling huge crowds during Durga Puja in Kolkata. They have been brought back to help ensure proper crowd management and prevent a repeat of the Chorbagan incident,” a senior official said.
The police advisory sets out operational instructions for handling visitors during adverse weather and periods of congestion. Entry points to pandals must be closed when it rains, while people already inside must be brought out safely. Police have been instructed not to allow crowds into pandals during such conditions and to ensure adequate lighting at the venues.
Personnel assigned to the sites have also been directed to remain at their posts during rain and regulate the movement of visitors according to the situation. Vehicles carrying VIPs will not be allowed to travel up to the pandals and must be parked at a designated distance, according to a police officer quoted in the report.
The advisory further requires police to monitor announcements made by puja organisers and ensure that visitor routes are not changed abruptly. Each officer and constable must coordinate with five to six volunteers from the concerned puja committee. Police have also been told to keep ropes, guardrails and small loudspeakers ready to manage crowds and respond to emergencies.
The measures place responsibility on both the police and organisers at a time when allegations of negligence have emerged following the Chorbagan tragedy. The instructions focus on controlling entry, maintaining fixed visitor routes, improving communication and ensuring that basic crowd-management equipment is available at crowded festival venues.
The deployment of officers from traffic, intelligence, criminal investigation and other police units reflects the administration’s immediate response to the tragedy. Their duties will continue during the festive rush, with the stated objective of preventing another crowd-related incident at Kolkata’s Durga Puja pandals.
