Gangasagar Mela: Kolkata Police set up kiosks, speed limiters made mandatory on all busses

Kolkata: Kolkata Police (KP) have taken several measures to assist pilgrims travelling to Gangasagar and to ensure their safety during the journey.

Elaborate security arrangements have also been made at the Gangasagar transit camp in the Outram Ghat area, which is scheduled to be visited by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday. The route to Gangasagar is via Behala and Diamond Harbour Road through Thakurpukur.

To facilitate smooth navigation, police have installed signage along the route for the convenience of drivers. A special kiosk has also been set up by Kolkata Police in the Thakurpukur area, where dry food, drinking water and tea have been arranged for pilgrims. Medical kits have also been kept at the kiosk to deal with emergencies.

The kiosk will be manned round the clock in view of the expected rush of pilgrims.

In addition, a few buses have been kept on standby near the kiosk. In the event of a breakdown of any bus or vehicle carrying pilgrims, these buses will be used to transport them to Gangasagar.

Kolkata Police are also maintaining close coordination with the Diamond Harbour Police District to ensure a safe and hassle-free journey for pilgrims.

At the Gangasagar transit camp in the Outram Ghat area, a large number of CCTV cameras have been installed for security. Police personnel are also monitoring social media platforms to prevent the spread of rumours or false information.

Meanwhile, the state government has made the installation of speed governors or speed limiters mandatory on all government and private buses ferrying pilgrims to and from the Ganga Sagar Mela 2026, citing repeated road accidents linked to over-speeding in previous years.

In an order issued by the Transport Directorate, all state transport undertakings (STUs) and Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) of five districts have been directed to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, governing the use of speed governors.

The directive also instructs the RTO of South 24-Parganas to maintain close coordination with the Kolkata Police Traffic Control Room for round-the-clock monitoring of pilgrim buses and immediate enforcement action in cases of violations involving stage or contract carriage vehicles.

Around 220 private buses is set to operate between Kachuberia and Sagar this year. Buses have already started reaching Kachuberia by vessel and are scheduled to begin operations from January 11, with the return of buses scheduled to begin from January 16.