Police, civic body on toes to keep immersion safe

KOLKATA: More than half the idols of Goddess Kali in the city were immersed by Thursday. Almost all small and medium Puja organizers took out processions for immersions in the Hooghly or in local ponds.

Around 2,200 idols were immersed at major ghats like Baje Kadamtolla, Judges Ghat, Nimtolla Ghat and Doi Ghat on Wednesday and Thursday. While KMC volunteers and cops made sure that structures were pulled out of the river immediately after immersion, the ones in the ponds were not pulled out till late on Thursday.

At the ghats, KMC officials and more than 100 volunteers separated the flowers and metal parts before pulling out the structures using hydraulic cranes.

The organizers were asked to queue up and only those carrying the idols were allowed till the river banks. River traffic police and disaster management teams, along with ambulances and fire tenders, were kept ready to tackle any emergency. “One or two Puja committee members were allowed inside the barricaded area. But they were not allowed to go near the water. The move has worked and so far the immersion process has passed without any hassles,” a senior KMC official said.

The cops, too, were on their toes as they kept a close eye on the revellers. They also ensured that no illegal crackers were burst or loud music by DJs was played out.

“The pre-Puja awareness campaign has worked wonders. No organizer came with a DJ or played loud music. We were not allowing any minor in the immersion area to avoid untoward incidents,” said a senior cop posted at Baje Kadamtolla Ghat. Many, however, opted for the traditional bands and dhaakis.

The organizers were not complaining, though. “It’s good to see the state’s efforts to keep the river clean. We, too, are concerned about the rising water pollution. So this time we ensured that no polluting material or flowers are immersed with the idol. Our cooperation is necessary to keep the city and rivers clean. I would have been happier had everyone been allowed to see the immersion,” said Pradipta Dey of Dhakuria Tarun Mahal.

Cops said they are more worried about the immersion of the more prominent Pujas that will come with a far larger procession in the next two days. “We were able to handle the immersion process smoothly in the last two days and will work on the same lines till November 10, the deadline for idol immersion in Kolkata,” said a senior officer at Lalbazar.