Alipurduar: In Alipurduar district, the Chhath Puja ghats near the forest are under special supervision by the administration, with monitoring conducted at the discretion of the Forest department and police administration. The primary concern revolves around the presence of wild animals in the vicinity.
The District Magistrate is set to participate in a virtual meeting with the police and Forest department on Friday regarding the matter. District Superintendent of Police Y Raghuvanshi, along with top officials from Buxa Tiger Reserve and Jaldapara National Park, will also be present at the meeting.
On the day of Chhath Puja, a significant number of people gather at each ghat before sunset, with some ghats requiring access through forested areas. Caution is advised in these forested ghats due to the potential presence of wildlife. Instances of elephants appearing during Chhat Puja have been reported, resulting in people having to evacuate.
The district has approximately 15-20 ghats near the Buxa Tiger Project and Jaldapara National Park.
Notable locations include the bank of the Dima River at Rajabhatkhawa in Buxa Tiger Reserve, the bank of the Gergenda River near Dalgaon forest in Birpara, the bank of the Holong River in Jaldapara just behind Madarihat Police Station, the bank of the Dimdima River, the bank of the Basra River in Hamiltonganj of Kalchini block, the bank of the Torsa River in Nilpara Forest area in Jaigaon, Newlands, Raidak and the Sankosh riverside in Kumargram Block, all considered sensitive points. R Vimala, District Magistrate, stated: “We have discussed with top officials of the district administration and block officials to ensure everything remains normal during Chhath Puja days.
Wildlife considerations have always been a priority. Tomorrow, we have a meeting with the Forest department and police, primarily focusing on security aspects.”
District Superintendent of Police Y Raghuvamshi added: “Police personnel will be present at the ghats.”
Apurba Sen, Field Director of Buxa Tiger Reserve, mentioned: “We are not individually identifying any ghat as sensitive. However, there will be Forest department personnel at each ghat.”