Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar in Kolkata will remain closed for 48 hours during Chhath preparations, with police teams deployed at their gates to prevent entry for rituals prohibited by court orders. The lakes were shut from 2 pm on Saturday and are scheduled to reopen at 2 pm on Monday, according to Times of India – Kolkata.
At Rabindra Sarobar, all 12 gates will be guarded from Sunday morning by a sub-inspector and a team of constables. Similar arrangements will be made at Subhas Sarobar. The entrances have been barricaded, while temporary bamboo structures were installed on Friday to seal access points.
The closure follows orders restricting religious activity at the two protected urban water bodies. Religious activities at Rabindra Sarobar are barred by orders of the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court, while a Calcutta High Court order has also prohibited such activities at Subhas Sarobar.
A senior officer of Rabindra Sarovar police station said the police expected some devotees might still arrive after information about the closure circulated on social media. Senior police officers and Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority officials inspected both lakes on Saturday to review security arrangements, and routine patrolling was increased from the evening.
The closure will also affect regular users of Rabindra Sarobar. A private security guard at the lake said the six clubs operating inside the premises had been shut and that morning walkers would be denied entry for the two-day period. The action temporarily limits access to a major public recreational space while authorities enforce the court-backed restrictions.
To manage the festival elsewhere, authorities are preparing water bodies across Kolkata with cleaning, barricading, dedicated pathways and stairs. Officials said lighting, police watchtowers, rescue boats, divers, emergency ambulances and spare vehicles were being arranged at the designated ghats. About 50 natural ponds and five artificial water bodies have been prepared for devotees.
Three ponds have been identified for people who previously observed Chhath rituals at Rabindra Sarobar. Three larger ponds in the southern suburbs—two in Kudghat and one in Bansdroni—have also been kept on standby. Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to inspect some of the ghats, including Bajekadamtala Ghat, on Sunday morning, while an official said preparatory measures were being taken ahead of the inspection planned for November 15.
