Kolkata immersion security was tightened across key Ganga ghats on Dashami, with Suvendu Adhikari inspecting Babughat, Baje Kadamtala Ghat and Judges Ghat ahead of the afternoon start of Durga idol immersions. Police, municipal officials and disaster-management teams were deployed to manage crowds, prevent accidents and limit pollution during the operations.
Adhikari spoke with Kolkata Police officials during the inspection, according to Sangbad Pratidin. Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nanda, Kolkata Municipal Corporation administrator Smita Pandey and other officials were present at the ghats. The inspection focused on the arrangements being made before large numbers of people arrive for immersion.
The report said idol immersions were expected to begin at Kolkata’s Ganga ghats after noon on Dashami. Preparations were under way at the ghats, where police and civic authorities were maintaining surveillance. Four Ganga ghats were placed under heightened security and monitoring, while drones were to be used for aerial surveillance of areas near the riverfront.
The measures come after a crowd crush and suffocation incident at Chorbagan in Kolkata on Saptami, in which 19 people were reported killed. The earlier incident has increased attention on crowd management during the festival period, particularly at locations where immersion ceremonies bring together large groups in confined spaces.
Adhikari said security, tradition and established customs would be followed during the immersions. He added that disaster-management teams were alert and that special surveillance had been arranged to prevent any untoward incident. The National Disaster Response Force was also involved in the security arrangements, according to his statement.
Pollution control was another part of the preparations. Civic authorities were instructed to monitor pollution during the immersion process, and cleaning operations were scheduled after the immersions ended. The report also said that only Sanatanis would handle the idol frameworks, while DJ music would be prohibited at the ghats during immersion.
The arrangements place responsibility across several agencies. Kolkata Police is handling security and crowd surveillance, the municipal administration is responsible for pollution-control measures and post-immersion cleaning, and disaster-response personnel are supporting emergency preparedness. The use of drones adds an aerial layer to monitoring at the four designated riverfront locations.
The day’s operations were set to proceed from the afternoon, with officials maintaining surveillance at Babughat, Baje Kadamtala Ghat and Judges Ghat. Authorities said post-immersion cleaning of the ghats would follow the completion of the ceremonies.
