Kolkata Police and KMDA secure access to 2 lakes, 4,500 cops to guard 92 ghats

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) and Kolkata Police on Monday fortified the city’s twin lakes Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar ahead of Chhath festival. Celebration of Chhath or any other festival at the lakes is prohibited by the National Green Tribunal and Calcutta High Court to protect their biodiversity.
KMDA installed bamboo scaffolding at all major gates in the lakes to ward off Chhath devotees, securing all access points and gaps in perimeter walls. KMDA will also arrange for buses to transport devotees that arrive at either venue to locations where arrangements have been made for Chhath rituals.

Police officers and KMDA officials held a joint inspection of the lakes on Monday and discussed the details of crowd control at water bodies across the city. They also jointly appealed to all devotees to celebrate responsibly, stay away from crowded water bodies and avoid bursting firecrackers.
Lalbazar will deploy 4,500 policemen in 92 ghats. A third of this force will be deployed at the twin lakes to keep devotees out. Local cops in south Kolkata have been asked to be present at locations from where mini-trucks set out with devotees heading for water bodies to perform Chhath and ensure that they do not go to either Rabindra Sarobar or Subhas Sarobar.
“We have been told to reach out to the community and answer their queries regarding Rabindra Sarobar. Senior community members responded positively last year and cooperated with us. They have come up with suggestions and we are in constant touch with them,” said an officer.
KMDA has been spreading the message about the need to celebrate Chhath in water bodies other than Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar through street plays. They were told about rules and protocols and the alternative arrangements made by KMDA.
Traffic cops deployed around the lakes have also been asked to divert vehicles heading with devotees to other designated ghats for Chhath. “We are planning an elaborate arrangement keeping in mind the court orders,” said joint CP (headquarters) Subhankar Sinha Sarkar.
Cops from four police stations — Rabindra Sarobar, Lake, Tollygunge and Charu Market — will play a key role in access control at Rabindra Sarobar.
Apart from deployment of multiple DCPs, ACPs and inspectors, police will also use drones and backpacks that will transmit live feeds to Lalbazar should there be an attempt to violate the orders. The situation will be constantly monitored from Lalbazar.
DC (SED) Sudip Sarkar said CCTV cameras are being set up across the entire Lake area. There will be special vigilance along the Gobindapur side and the Tollygunge station sides to the south of the lake.