For Jagaddhatri Puja, security beefed up at Chandannagar

KOLKATA: Two years after the Covid-induced restrictions, Chandannagar and its adjacent areas are witnessing a sea of people coming to the place to celebrate Jagaddhatri Puja.

Keeping in mind the crowd of people who will be visiting the place by train, the Government Railway Police have arranged additional security arrangements from October 29 to November 4 at Chandannagar and Mankundu Railway stations, while arrangements have also been done from November 2 to November 7 at Rishra railway station for Jagaddhatri Puja.

Apart from the yearly security arrangements to maintain crowds during the Puja, the GRP team will also be putting up at least eight CCTV cameras at strategic points of the Chandannagar and Mankundu Railway stations. "The security arrangements begin 10 to 15 days ahead of the festival. The works on lighting, barricades and passenger safety have already been done. We have also put up signage for the ladies' compartment. We have requested the railway for adequate marking to ensure that passengers keep a safe distance while boarding or de-boarding the train," Superintendent of Railway Police (SRP) of Howrah Pankaj Kumar Dwivedi said.

He also said that women police personnel along with plain-clothed officials will be present to intercept criminal activities. Apart from that, Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Police will also be present.

The celebration has already begun in Chandannagar as the streets remain jam-packed with visitors. The same excitement was brought to the senior citizens of the city by the Chandannagar Commissionerate, who made arrangements to take elderly people to visit the Puja pandals by special buses.

Vehicles like totos were asked not to operate during the festive days in the city considering the crowded streets.

Various arrangements have also been made for the safety of the visitors.