Elaborate security arrangements in West Bengal for Durga idol immersion

Kolkata: With most of the household Durga puja idols set for immersion on Dashami on Saturday, Kolkata Police as well as civic authorities have made elaborate security arrangements for peaceful processions at the various ghats on the Ganga in and around the city.

Immersion of Durga idols will continue on all days from Saturday, including on Muharram day on Sunday till October 3.

Apart from manning the riverfront and preventing onlookers from getting too close to the water, senior officers Kolkata Police will be conducting special vigil from watch towers constructed near the ghats.

"We are keeping strict vigil at the ghats. Also there will be several police personnel posted on the way to them to check any untoward incident during the immersion process. We are not taking any chance," a senior Kolkata Police officer told PTI.

Teams of river police and personnel from disaster management have been deployed to patrol the river, he said.

"Besides, closed-circuit television cameras and drones will also be used at certain ghats too to keep a tab on the immersion process there. Our officers will also be there in plain clothes," he said.

The administration has put up additional lights at the ghats and cranes have been employed to bring out the remains of idols, flowers from the river water to avoid pollution.

Around 3500 community pujas were held in the city this year, while over thousands more are observed in the suburban towns and villages across West Bengal.

The Calcutta High Court had allowed immersion of Durga idols on all days from Vijaya Dashami according to the Hindu almanac, including on Muharram on October 1.

The high court had also directed the West Bengal government to make necessary security arrangements in this connection.

The state government had earlier imposed restrictions on Durga idol immersion on September 30 after 10 pm and had disallowed it on October one.