Kolkata Police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have deployed additional personnel and emergency resources across the city’s immersion points as Durga Puja idol immersions begin, with security arrangements covering 28 Ganga ghats, five Adi Ganga ghats and 34 ponds and lakes.
Police pickets have also been placed at nearly 200 important junctions and areas to manage movement and maintain surveillance during the immersion period. According to a report by Sangbad Pratidin, police personnel were readied at the ghats from Tuesday afternoon, ahead of the first immersion day on Wednesday.
The main immersion locations include Dahi Ghat in Kidderpore, Babughat, Ahiritola Ghat, Kumartuli and Bajekadamtala. The largest number of immersions is generally reported at Bajekadamtala, Nimtala and Judges Ghat, leading to additional security arrangements at these locations.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has formed separate teams for the ghats, with personnel scheduled to patrol from the morning until late at night. The civic body has said that arrangements will cover not only large organised pujas but also small community celebrations and household idols being immersed in local ponds and water bodies.
Additional instructions have been issued for safety and cleanliness at local immersion sites. Dustbins are being placed at the ghats, while municipal sanitation workers will be deployed from Dashami to support cleaning operations. The police have also directed that cleanliness at the immersion locations be monitored alongside security.
Water rescue arrangements include 25 life-saving boats on the Ganga, staffed by police personnel, trained boatmen and rescue workers. Four motorised boats are patrolling the Nimtala, Bajekadamtala, Gwalior Ghat and Garden Reach stretches. The boats are being equipped with ropes and hooks for rescue operations.
Members of the Disaster Management Group with swimming and rescue skills have been deployed at the four locations. The report said DMG personnel will be present at at least 30 Ganga ghats and water bodies during the immersion period.
The first day of immersion generally includes household idols and some community pujas, while other organisers begin the process from the second day. The combined deployment by the police and civic body is intended to manage the concentration of people, vehicles and idols at major riverfront locations while extending safety and sanitation arrangements to smaller local water bodies.
