Police make elaborate arrangements for 'tarpan'
Kolkata: Kolkata Police has made elaborate arrangements for peaceful 'tarpan' at the ghats along the river Hooghly.
The conservancy workers of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Wednesday cleaned the ghats where people will offer 'tarpan' from early on Thursday morning. The police officers along with their counterparts in KMC visited the ghats to oversee the last minute arrangements.
According to Kolkata Police, on Wednesday sufficient number of police forces will be deployed at all the 37 ghats where people will come to offer 'tarpan'. However keeping
the pandemic situation in mind, several steps have been taken.
Deputy Commissioner of Port Division on Wednesday informed that a limited number of people will be
allowed to offer 'tarpan' at a time and will have to perform the rituals maintaining the Covid protocols.
Others will have to wait outside the ghat area maintaining physical distancing.
Guard rails will be placed for hassle free crowed management.
This apart, Disaster Management Group (DMG) teams consisting of divers and other personnel will be kept on reserve at all the ghats. Speed boats and few jet skis will be used to patrol the water round the clock from early morning till the end of 'tarpan'. Also special boats will be anchored at all the ghats for emergency purposes.
People will be instructed and make aware of the Covid protocols and other statutory warnings through public address systems.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday BJP leaders including Kailash Vijayvargiya, Mukul Roy and Rahul Sinha offered 'tarpan' at Golabari ghat after they refused to do it at Bagbazar ghat.
The police said there was no permission to offer 'tarpan' at Baghbazar ghat in view of COVID-19 pandemic.
BJP supporters put up a roadblock in protest and the police arrested six of them.
Shashi Panja, national spokesperson for Trinamool Congress said that it was most unfortunate that the leaders of a national party flouted the norms and offered 'tarpan'. "They are going for cheap publicity and trying to create trouble on one pretext or the other," she said.
