The West Bengal government has stepped back from an earlier plan to allow Chhath Puja celebrations at Kolkata’s Rabindra Sarobar, with urban development minister Agnimitra Paul acknowledging that a National Green Tribunal order prohibits festivities at the ecologically sensitive lake. The administration is preparing 50 alternative ghats in South Kolkata if permission for Rabindra Sarobar cannot be secured.
Paul had announced earlier on Wednesday that the administration would allow celebrations at Rabindra Sarobar with environmental safeguards. She later said the government could not proceed against the court order and that its legal cell was examining the matter.
“If we don’t get permission, we cannot go against the order of the environmental court in that case. For that reason, 50 ghats are being prepared in South Kolkata,” Paul said in the evening, according to a report cited by The Telegraph. During an inspection of a water body near Rabindra Sarobar in Jodhpur Park, she also said the administration was arranging alternative locations.
The minister’s earlier position had triggered criticism from environmentalists and political leaders. Supporters of the proposed reopening had questioned why local residents should not be allowed to celebrate at the lake, while Paul had said any permission would be linked to pollution-control measures, according to a PTI report cited in the coverage.
The restrictions on Chhath Puja at Rabindra Sarobar and Subhash Sarobar are linked to concerns over the impact of large gatherings, ritual offerings and immersion of materials on the lakes’ ecosystems. The Kolkata High Court upheld in 2020 an NGT order passed in 2017 that banned Chhath Puja celebrations at both water bodies.
The legal restrictions followed earlier instances in which groups entered Rabindra Sarobar despite court orders. In 2018 and 2019, such gatherings took place at the lake and were described in the report as leading to extensive disorder. The role of the police administration in managing those incidents also came under question.
The latest reversal highlights the administrative challenge of balancing access to public and religious spaces with court-mandated environmental protection. It also places the focus on whether alternative water bodies can be prepared safely and adequately for the expected gatherings. Paul visited several ghats in Kolkata to review preparations, while the state government’s legal cell continued examining whether any permission could be obtained for Rabindra Sarobar.
For now, the minister’s stated plan is to proceed with the preparation of 50 water bodies in South Kolkata if the court restriction remains applicable. The government’s next step will depend on the legal position and the outcome of its review of the NGT order.
