South 24 Parganas district administration "well prepared" for Gangasagar Mela

With an aim to facilitate devotees, visiting Gangasagar Mela-- largest fair after Kumbh Mela, the district administration has deployed police personnel to water ambulances at Sagardwip, District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas said on Thursday.

Taking note of the preparations ahead of the Gangasagar Mela, the District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas, Sumit Gupta toldthat everything has been taken into consideration regarding safety and security ahead of the second-largest fair in India.

"Gangasagar fair is the biggest fair in the Eastern part of India, where lakhs of devotees and seers come every year. All the activities of the fair are being monitored from the mega control room for monitoring all the areas. CCTV cameras have been mounted and drones are being used to monitor each and every activity of the fair. We are well prepared," Sumit Gupta said.

He said that a heavy deployment of security personnel is also done.

"Police, Navy, Disaster Management teams and Civil Defence Force have been in the line of duty to keep an eye on crowd management, as well as arrangements have been made to transport people in buses, vessels, etc.," he said, adding that arrangements have been made from transportation to boats, and vessels to cater for lakhs of devotees, visiting the fair crossing the ocean."

South 24 Parganas District Magistrate toldthat earlier, Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has also visited the spot to review preparations.

"CCTV cameras and drones are installed, and an integrated control room has been set up, overseen by police, civil defence, and civil administration. Monitoring is also being done by State Secretariat, Nabanna. Complete monitoring is being done by senior cops," DM said.

As per Sumit Gupta, water ambulance and air ambulance are available at the Mela ground for medical purposes.

"We have deployed doctors, police, and volunteers on a massive scale and we are able to manage all the people, planning to visit," he said.

Gangasagar Mela, the second largest fair after Kumbh Mela, is returning after two years of hiatus due to covid restrictions.

Around 30 lakh pilgrims are expected at the mela and the government has made all the necessary preparations for the same. Though around 1100 CCTV cameras have been installed to ensure a smooth flow of events in the mela and to maintain security at the site, the government has not issued any guidelines to be followed during the mela.

Earlier, the Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while speaking to the press informed about the preparations for the Mela. She stated that three helipads had been inaugurated at Gangasagar and a Detail Report Project (DRP) is being prepared for Mourigram bridge as the Gangasagar journey is tough.

She also mentioned that they will provide Rs 5 lakh insurance if any untoward incident takes place between January 8 to 17 in the mela as the holy dip is planned for January 14 to 15.

It is observed on the pious day of 'Makar Sankranti', a festival to mark the beginning of the harvesting season, the Gangasagar Mela witnesses many spiritual devotees every year who visit, especially to take a dip in the sacred waters of the river Ganga at Sagardwip, from where it finally merges into the Bay of Bengal.

( With inputs from ANI )