Debi Ghat, the waterbody in Dakshindari that is the immersion spot for several hundred idols in east Calcutta, is undergoing a major makeover.
Fire and emergency services minister and local MLA Sujit Bose made the announcement on the day of Rathyatra at the khuti puja of Sreebhumi Sporting Club, of which he is the president. “An allocation of Rs 4.5 crore has been made for the renovation,” he said.
If one is taking VIP Road from the Ultadanga crossing under the flyover, Debi Ghat is the waterbody to the left. For years, it was known by a fibre glass tableau of a deity being carried on bamboo poles, with a dhunuchi dancer, a man carrying holy water in a ghot and a woman blowing a conchshell in front and a dhaki and revellers bringing up the rear.
“The waterbody was earlier used only for pisciculture. The ghat was named by our leader Sujit Bose and built in 2013. The thematic structure was conceived by our puja artist Anirban Das, and crafted by my team. I used to work as a contractor then,” recalled Biswajit Prasad, councillor of Ward 28 of South Dum Dum Municipality.
The structure has been removed as excavators have been pressed into action, dumping soil to widen the bank of the waterbody and leveling the surface. The project is being executed by the Public Works Department (Roads).
“Our brief comprises dredging, building of earthen embankment, bordering the area with decorative fencing, creating a walkway inside, and doing avenue plantation,” said an official involved with the project.
A view of the water body at Debi Ghat on Saturday
A total of 43 varieties of plantations have been picked, comprising flower and fruit trees. “The maximum number of tall trees we have chosen — 10 each — are litchi, sabeda, tamarind, kalojam, golapjam, mango and jackfruit. The aim is to attract birds,” said the official.
Earthen embankments have been built the sustainable way, using eucalyptus logs. “The logs are not even coated with tar to preserve the chemical from seeping into the water.” Even if the logs corrode in the water after seven-eight years, the ground would have stabilized adequately by then, sources said. Deep-rooted plants will be planted along the periphery so that its roots go well into the soil and hold it in an embrace.
The waterbody has an irregular shape on the other side from VIP Road and recedes into private land. The revamped ghat will be shaped like the arch of a circle, so an embankment is being built by depositing sludge amid the water at a corner.
A decorative shelter will be built to guard visitors from rain. Several corrective measures are being taken to improve the quality of water.
Earlier, untreated waste from an adjacent building used to get discharged into this waterbody as did the effluent from a neighbouring sewage treatment plant of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority.
“We have stopped all that as the water quality has to be as per National Green Tribunal guidelines,” the official said. The only pipe being laid into the water is a storm water drainage channel to allow rainwater from the streets to drain into it. The water body is 150m in length along VIP Road and will have a radius of 75m.
There will be decorative lighting along the walkways, including two high-mast lights, which will be turned off at night. A long-term sustainability measure is being mulled for which consultation has been sought from Jadavpur University.
Since the ghat is used for idol immersion, a lot of wilted flowers will be dunked here by immersion parties. “We are thinking of a solid waste management initiative to recycle floral waste by creating organic abir and incense sticks. Let’s see what the university experts rule in their survey report,” another official said.
Immersion worry
The heavy rain is playing spoilsport slowing down the pace of work. Workers at the site believe it will take till December to complete the work.
But the civic administration is banking on the ghat being available for Puja immersion in the first week of October. “Over 200 idols get immersed here from Kestopur, Baguiati, Kaikhali, Ultadanga etc.
over three days. We make elaborate arrangements. A net is cast over the water surface to stop any litter from making it to the water. Cranes are also on the ready to drag the idols out by their wooden structures right after the immersion,” explained Partha Varma, a chairman-in-council of South Dum Dum Municipality and the local councilor.
The puja that he helms, Dakshindari Youths, has also been immersing its idols here ever since the ghat was built. The dependence on Debi Ghat will further increase this year because of a recent decision taken by the municipality.
A pipeline for storm water drainage being installed and an earthen embankment being built to make space a walkway surrounding and decorative fencing surrounding the waterbody. Pictures by Sudeshna Banerjee
Dum Dum Park will no longer be open to pujas outside the immediate neighbourhood, according to Prasad. “Last year, residents had complained of the cacophony by outsider pujas, who blasted loud music using DJ boxes.
Dum Dum Park is a residential area. The minister has agreed to limit the use of Tank 4 for immersion to the 10-12 pujas in Dum Dum Park and adjacent Shyamnagar,” Prasad said. He admitted that there would be pressure to revoke the ban if Debi Ghat became unavailable.
“Taking the idols all the way to the Hooghly is an expensive proposition that every puja cannot afford,” he said. Prasad is the general secretary of Dum Dum Tarun Dal, which usually takes part in the Red Road carnival and therefore immerses its idols in the Hooghly.
“If the administration insists on using Debi Ghat for immersion this year, we will see what happens,” an official at the construction site said.