Kolkata: Taking lessons from the Chorbagan stampede that claimed 19 lives, Kolkata Police has rolled out a crowd-management blueprint for the two-day Chhath Puja festivities that will focus not just on the ghats but also on all their approaches.Five senior IPS officers — including DIG-level officials from Bengal Police with extensive experience in handling major festivals — have been deployed to patrol arterial roads leading to the riverbanks, regulate pedestrian flow and prevent any stampede-like situations.There were allegations of mismanagement in the entry queue at Chorbagan that allowed excess people inside the pandal, and the cops are desperate to avoid such a situation.Following a Nov 11 missive from Kolkata Police commissioner Ajay Nand, a formal Bengal Police order issued on Nov 13 assigned DIG (STF) Santosh Uttamrao Nimbolkar, DIG (Traffic) Shubhankar Bhattacharya, CID special superintendent Dipak Sarkar, Enforcement Branch special superintendent Parijat Biswas and STF superintendent Siddhartha Dhapola to oversee security across Kolkata Police jurisdiction.Assuming charge on Sunday morning, they have a primary mandate to channel devotees smoothly towards the ghats, prevent dangerous bottlenecks and maintain strict law and order. Major Hooghly ghats expecting massive footfall have been equipped with ambulances, medical teams, first-aid stations, bio-toilets, adequate illumination, public address systems and dedicated changing rooms for women. There will be emergency helpline numbers along with watchtowers on the riverside ghats and a miking system.To further bolster safety, police have also imposed traffic restrictions barring Chhath vehicles on bridges equipped with height bars. Additionally, 158 dedicated police teams will patrol the ghats to enforce a strict ban on DJ music and illegal firecrackers.Even during the Durga Puja immersion between Oct 21 and 24, senior IPS officers — including Gaurav Sharma, Soma Das Mitra, Rashid Munir Khan, Akash Magharia, Sureshkumar Chadive, Dhritiman Sarkar, Praveenkumar Tripathi, Imran Wahab, Shis Ram Jhajharia, Soumya Roy, alongside Parijat Biswas and Siddhartha Dhapola — were on duty on the ground for direct supervision. The administration is now replicating that high-level field command for Chhath Puja.Complementing the police deployment, KMC has introduced scannable QR codes for pilgrims, enabling devotees to access real-time information on ghat locations, safe travel routes and emergency services on their mobile phones. On Saturday, Union minister of state Sukanta Majumdar inspected several ghats in the Kashipur-Belgachhia constituency alongside local MLA Ritesh Tiwari to review preparations.“All water bodies are being barricaded with bamboo up to the limit till where the devotees can enter into the water for observing the ritual. There will be divers and rescue boats at all the ghats,” said an official.To ensure hassle-free rituals, the municipal water supply department will station extra drinking water tankers across the sites on Sunday and Monday.
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