South 24-Parganas looks to ensure hassle-free Gangasagar pilgrimage

Kolkata: South 24-Parganas district administration has taken a slew of new initiatives this year to ensure a hassle-free pilgrimage of Gangasagar, where lakhs of pilgrims across the country assemble to take a holy dip on the day of Makarsankranti in the month of January.

The development measures include boost in infrastructure, transportation, enhanced security for the pilgrims and also a clean and green environment.

"We have done four laning of the 4-km stretch from Kachuberia to Sagar point with the road taking the shape of a national highway in the state. There will be a metal barricading of more than 20 km for safe and disciplined passage of pilgrims to jetties and in queues," a senior official of the district administration said.

The district administration is laying special emphasis on the security at the Mela. "Our mega control room has been made more integrated and will encompass the entire stretch right from Babughat to the Gangasagar Mela Ground. The control room infrastructure will effectively ensure data flow through 700 CCTVs and 50 LED screens. Officials at Lot 8, Kachuberia, Chemaguri and Namkhana will be able to view real time crowd flow and activities of their cross channel counterparts," said district magistrate South 24-Parganas, Y Ratnakara Rao.

The district administration for the first time will come up with satellite based high-end GPs navigation to track precise location of vessels ferrying pilgrims to and fro from the fair ground.

"Last year, there were civil defense officials in each vessel and we had to contact them for knowing the vessels location and network problem often acted as a barrier," the senior official added.

There will be as many as 12 drones and satellite phones for the officials who will be on-duty at critical locations.

The district administration has come up with a 2nd jetty at Benubon to handle more traffic in the

Benubon-Namkhana segment.

"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed us to give top priority to the welfare of pilgrims. The insurance cover for pilgrims this year will be Rs 5 crore and there will be more than 80 vessels for their smooth movement. The number of hangars for pilgrims have been doubled and will have 10 hangars to ensure that no one has to stay under the sky during the night," the official maintained.

In a significant stride toward efficient solid waste management, the administration for the first time will have around 40 battery-operated environment friendly e-carts.

"We will be having high-tech portable floodlights that can provide illumination over a large area. It will be very useful for monitoring during the night time," Rao maintained.