Alipurduar: With proactive measures by the Forest Department, this year’s Chhath Puja celebrations passed off peacefully at all ghats adjoining forest areas across North Bengal.
From Monday evening, forest personnel were deployed along riverbanks stretching from Bagdogra to Sankosh, covering more than 125 ghats known for frequent elephant movement. Each ghat had teams of at least five trained forest workers, equipped with high-powered torches, walkie-talkies, and firecrackers to drive away wild animals
when necessary. “Every team maintained continuous vigil from Monday evening through Tuesday afternoon,” said Bhaskar JV, Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), North. “Forest personnel also patrolled connecting roads from nearby villages to the river ghats. Except for a brief elephant appearance near the Basra River, no untoward incident was reported anywhere,” it was stated. The deployment involved nearly 1,500 forest staff, reflecting heightened vigilance during the festive season. Similar security arrangements had earlier been made during Durga Puja, especially around pandals near forest zones in Sukna, Chapramari, Gorumara, Jaldapara, and the Buxa Tiger Reserve.
Some of the largest Chhath ghats in the region include Hasimara in Alipurduar district, located on the fringes of Jaldapara National Park, as well as ghats at Jaigaon, Birpara, and along the Dima and Jayanti rivers near Rajabhatkhawa.
These areas draw large crowds, with devotees carrying banana trees and fruits as offerings from Monday afternoon onwards. The Forest Department remained on high alert, especially as elephants can detect food from as far as 15–16 kilometres away, and elephant movement in the Dooars region has reportedly increased since the recent floods.
At one such ghat—on the banks of the Basra River in the Hamilton Ganj Range near Buxa Tiger Reserve—an elephant suddenly appeared early Tuesday morning, triggering panic among devotees.
However, quick action by the forest staff prevented any casualties. The elephant was safely guided across the state highway and back into the forest, restoring calm within minutes. The swift and coordinated operation across forest divisions ensured that Chhath Puja rituals were conducted smoothly and without disruption across North Bengal’s forest-adjacent riverbanks.