Apart from 47 ghats, 103 ponds to be made available

KOLKATA: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) along with Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) will have elaborate arrangements for performing Chhath rituals on October 30 and 31 with both Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar to be kept out of bounds.

A meeting was chaired by Mayor Firhad Hakim with all stakeholders at KMC on Wednesday where it has been decided that apart from 47 ghats that will be readied by KMDA, there will be arrangements for performing

Puja at 103 ponds along with 9 temporary waterbodies and 17 ghats along the bank of river Ganga.

Representatives from KMDA- the custodian of Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar, Kolkata Police, Port, Navy etc were present during the meeting.

"There will be elaborate security arrangements at all the ghats with the disaster management group (DMG) of Kolkata Police and rescue team from KMC at all the ghats. There will be a disaster management team of the Navy at the ghats under their jurisdiction. The measures will ensure averting any untoward incident," Debasish Kumar, Member Mayor-in-Council (Parks and Gardens) who oversees the ghats on the bank of the river Ganga said.

Both Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar are under the glare of the National Green Tribunal due to pollution issues.

The temporary ghats have been developed in a manner to ensure that the Bihari Samaj need not travel far from their respective homes for performing the Chhath Puja.

There will be facilities of bio-toilets, police assistance booth, changing room for women, lighting arrangements and drinking water facilities.

Wooden or ply platforms will be set up at the temporary ghats and arrangements will be such that the Chhath Puja revellers cannot go beyond chest-deep water to ensure safety.