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Times of India
Immersions have to be over by Wednesday night
TNN 28 September 2009, 03:33am IST
KOLKATA: Big-budget community pujas can stretch the festival by a
day-and-a-half at the most. Keen to rein in the pandal-hopping madness
that has
left the force sapped after three gruelling days of day-night duty,
Kolkata Police has asked all puja organizers to complete immersions by
Wednesday night.
The 450-odd pujas that are organized in individual homes and housing
complexes will complete the immersion on Dashami, Monday. But most of
the 1,125-odd community pujas who stretch the ritual to the limit,
have been given very little room this year with the police insisting
on the Wednesday night deadline.
For the first time, armed police will be deployed at the 12 ghats
where immersion will take place. The move is aimed at combating any
law and order threat that may arise due to huge crowds that gather
along the banks of the Hooghly to watch the immersion.
"We have made special arrangements at Babughat, Gwalior Ghat,
Sovabazar Ghat, Armenian Ghat, Nimtala Ghat and seven other ghats
along the river where maximum immersions will take place. There will
be police arrangement at these places on all three days. River Traffic
Police will keep an eye on the activity from three launches. There
will be speedboats ready. High-intensity lights are being installed at
all ghats to help police maintain a close vigil," a senior police
officer said.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Circular Railway will not run services from
6 pm. Traffic diversions will take place on Goshtho Pal Sarani,
Auckland Road, BK Pal Avenue, MG Road, Beadon Street, Kali Krishna
Tagore Street, Nimtala Ghat Street and Strand Road.
With most immersion processions expected to hit the roads between 7 pm
and 10 pm, police have advised commuters and motorists to avoid major
roads like Ashutosh Mukherjee Road, AJC Bose Road, APC Road, Sarat
Bose Road, Syed Amir Ali Avenue, Rashbehari Connector, Vivekanada
Road, Amherst Street, College Street and VIP Road unless absolute
In Behrampore, the municipality has taken all steps to ensure that the
immersion process is eco-friendly on Dashami. Appropriate arrangements
have been made at 15 ghats along the banks of Bhagirathi.
"As lead paints are used on idols, there is wide-scale pollution
during immersion. So, not only people suffer but fish and other
aquatic creatures are adversely affected. Pollution triggers global
warming too. Last year, 70% of the puja committees followed our
rules. We hope to get 100% support this year," said Nilratan Adhya,
the chairman of Behrampore Municipality.
"Puja committees will not be allowed to throw flowers and other
decorative items used on the idol in the river. They will have to
dispose all the waste into any of the 15 containers we have provided
before the bhasan. Puja committees will also have to take the
initiative to arrange for some such containers. Moreover, once
immersed, idols won't be allowed in the river for long. These have to
be immediately removed after a symbolic bhasan. Otherwise, civic staff
will seize the idols. These rules are applicable to family pujas too,"
Adhya said.
Immersions have to be over by Wednesday night
TNN 28 September 2009, 03:33am IST
KOLKATA: Big-budget community pujas can stretch the festival by a
day-and-a-half at the most. Keen to rein in the pandal-hopping madness
that has
left the force sapped after three gruelling days of day-night duty,
Kolkata Police has asked all puja organizers to complete immersions by
Wednesday night.
The 450-odd pujas that are organized in individual homes and housing
complexes will complete the immersion on Dashami, Monday. But most of
the 1,125-odd community pujas who stretch the ritual to the limit,
have been given very little room this year with the police insisting
on the Wednesday night deadline.
For the first time, armed police will be deployed at the 12 ghats
where immersion will take place. The move is aimed at combating any
law and order threat that may arise due to huge crowds that gather
along the banks of the Hooghly to watch the immersion.
"We have made special arrangements at Babughat, Gwalior Ghat,
Sovabazar Ghat, Armenian Ghat, Nimtala Ghat and seven other ghats
along the river where maximum immersions will take place. There will
be police arrangement at these places on all three days. River Traffic
Police will keep an eye on the activity from three launches. There
will be speedboats ready. High-intensity lights are being installed at
all ghats to help police maintain a close vigil," a senior police
officer said.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Circular Railway will not run services from
6 pm. Traffic diversions will take place on Goshtho Pal Sarani,
Auckland Road, BK Pal Avenue, MG Road, Beadon Street, Kali Krishna
Tagore Street, Nimtala Ghat Street and Strand Road.
With most immersion processions expected to hit the roads between 7 pm
and 10 pm, police have advised commuters and motorists to avoid major
roads like Ashutosh Mukherjee Road, AJC Bose Road, APC Road, Sarat
Bose Road, Syed Amir Ali Avenue, Rashbehari Connector, Vivekanada
Road, Amherst Street, College Street and VIP Road unless absolute
In Behrampore, the municipality has taken all steps to ensure that the
immersion process is eco-friendly on Dashami. Appropriate arrangements
have been made at 15 ghats along the banks of Bhagirathi.
"As lead paints are used on idols, there is wide-scale pollution
during immersion. So, not only people suffer but fish and other
aquatic creatures are adversely affected. Pollution triggers global
warming too. Last year, 70% of the puja committees followed our
rules. We hope to get 100% support this year," said Nilratan Adhya,
the chairman of Behrampore Municipality.
"Puja committees will not be allowed to throw flowers and other
decorative items used on the idol in the river. They will have to
dispose all the waste into any of the 15 containers we have provided
before the bhasan. Puja committees will also have to take the
initiative to arrange for some such containers. Moreover, once
immersed, idols won't be allowed in the river for long. These have to
be immediately removed after a symbolic bhasan. Otherwise, civic staff
will seize the idols. These rules are applicable to family pujas too,"
Adhya said.