The bitter memory of the Nagerbazar blast that left two persons, including a child, dead less than a fortnight ago still fresh in the mind, the Bengal Government has thrown an unprecedented security net across Durga Puja-bound Kolkata, police sources said.
With the pandal hoppers already cramming the roads from Dwitiya (second day of the 10-day-long celebrations) the administration has made massive police bandobast deploying 8000-strong police force across the city.
This figure is in addition to several thousand civic volunteers and private security operations, sources said. “Our officers to the rank of Deputy Commissioners will personally man vital positions in north and South Kolkata,” said a senior official, adding that the police officers will be deployed in three shifts.
The first shift will work from 8 am to 4 pm. The second shift will work from 4 pm to 12 in the midnight and the third shift will be deployed from 12 to 8 am, officials said adding about 800 police pickets have been put up in places near important Durga Puja Pandals like Ahiritola, Bagbazar, Md Ali Park, College Square, Sealdah in the North and Ekdalia Evergreen, Ballygunge Cultural, Tridhara Sanmilani, Deshapriya Park, Suruchi Sangha, Chetla Agrani etc.
“We have deployed 25 divisional mobiles and 46 watch towers at important locations,” said a Deputy Commissioner adding 74 additional CCTV cameras have been installed at various locations. “This is in addition to the existing ones,” he said adding the CCTV feed will be monitored round the clock by the police officials in the control room.”
The Government was not willing to take chances during the Durga Pujas, said a senior IAS officer adding these Pujas Kolkata is likely to witness more than 30 million crowd spread across 5-6 days.
“In order to make pandal hopping during the Pujas safer, secure and trouble-free we have set up 27 trauma care ambulances that will move around the city to tackle emergencies” he said adding nine missing person’s squads will also be deployed to help people find their children who often are lost in the crowd. This year the police expects about 20 lakh people to visit Kolkata from distant districts and states.
Immersion of Durga idols will take place from Vijay Dushmi which falls on October 19. Some select clubs will however be required to take part in the Durga Carnival to be organized at historic Red Road on October 23.
A brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about 100 clubs will march past the Red Road a la the Republic Day Parade with guests and revelers enjoying the occasion from the galleries raised on the two sides. Durga Carnival became a huge success in 2017.
