Pune’s fire brigade has deployed 160 personnel, including officers, firefighters and lifeguards, at 15 major Ganesh visarjan ghats along the Mutha river as part of preparations to prevent accidents during the festival period.
Fire brigade officials inspected the riverfront immersion sites on Monday, where devotees had begun gathering for the immersion ceremonies. The inspection focused on the safety arrangements at the ghats and the preparedness of personnel who will be stationed there during the festival.
The deployment includes 20 fire brigade officers, 20 firefighters and 120 lifeguards. Officials said the arrangement has been planned because devotees could slip and fall into the river while carrying out immersion rituals. Lifeguards have also been positioned near river and lake areas to provide immediate assistance in an emergency.
The personnel have been provided with life jackets, life rings and ropes. A fire tender will also be stationed along the immersion routes and near the ghats, allowing the department to respond to incidents in areas where large crowds are expected.
Chief Fire Officer Ganesh Sonawane and Assistant Officer Vijay Bhilare were among the officials who inspected the immersion ghats. During the visit, they interacted with officers, firefighters and lifeguards assigned to the locations and instructed them to give priority to the safety of devotees, according to fire brigade officials.
Pune’s immersion arrangements have to cover several stages of the festival because idols are immersed after one and a half days, five days and seven days, in addition to the larger immersion gathering on Anant Chaturdashi. The fire brigade’s deployment is intended to remain in place throughout the festival period rather than only during the final day.
The 15 main immersion ghats are located along the Mutha riverbed and are expected to receive devotees carrying idols for immersion. The department has directed personnel to ensure that emergency assistance is available at the riverfront and lake locations. The fire brigade’s next operational step is to maintain the planned deployment at the ghats and along immersion routes during the scheduled ceremonies.
