3,700 Cops Deployed As Kolkata Gears Up For Chhath Puja Across 124 Sites

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) authorities will be handling 124 locations for Chhath puja celebrations across the city. A total of 30 ghats along the river Hoogly will be open for devotees for the holy dip, but this year, the Kolkata Police have decided to keep Bagbazar or Mayer Ghat closed for Chhath puja after chaos unfolded on Mahalaya earlier this year. "There are 163 ghats in Kolkata of which 39 are under Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, and the remaining with KMC," said Kolkata's civic body commissioner Smita Pandey."Two ghats have been also designated on the Adi Ganga and 86 ponds have been marked across the city. We are making temporary arrangements for six artificial ponds... We are giving special attention to cleanliness. During our recent inspection, we found that the sloping areas in the port zone will be cleaned jointly by the Port authorities and the KMC," Pandey added. Similar arrangements have also been made in other districts. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited Hoogly on Friday and Barrackpore on Saturday to oversee preparations along with district administration. "We have deployed MLAs and ministers in every district for Chhath puja monitoring. We have taken steps to ensure this year's Chhath Puja is held smoothly. 34 years of the Left and then the TMC didn't smoothly conduct Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Ram Navami or Chhath Puja but that has now changed and our government will ensure the pujas are smoothly conducted," said Adhikari. "The administration has set up medical teams, lighting arrangements, bio-toilets, and dedicated security personnel near the major ghats. "Safety is the most important thing. We will all perform puja and rituals while following our traditions, but everyone's safety must not be compromised. Therefore, all arrangements are being made in a proper and organised manner to ensure that Chhath Puja is celebrated safely," said state minister Indranil Khan. "We are coordinating with the Kolkata Police, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Kolkata Port and other authorities to ensure adequate arrangements. If steps at river ghats are slippery, arrangements will be made to dry them to ensure safety. Crowd control and management are also important concerns," Khan added.Like every year, entry is strictly prohibited at Subhash Sarobar and Rabindra Sarobar as per the NGT order. 300 additional police will be deployed at both these sites. The Kolkata Police will be deploying over 3,700 police personnel for Chhath puja duty with 35 senior officers to monitor.