For the first time, the civic authorities will keep themselves battle-ready for any emergency during the Pujas.

On mayor Subrata Mukherjee?s orders, municipal commissioner Debasish Som has asked the building department to keep the logistics ready for tackling any eventuality, be it a pandal fire or a building collapse.

In the earlier Pujas, the building department?s role had been restricted to taking steps against illegal constructions.

According to Shaktibrata Ghosh, officer on special duty to the mayor, civic offices will remain closed on the festive days, but a team in the building department will be ready round-the-clock with hammers, pneumatic drills, axes, gas-cutters, ropes, a pay-loader, a truck and an ambulance.

?During the earlier Pujas, we had faced difficulty removing the debris or pulling down unsafe parts of a building or a pandal in case of a fire or a cave-in. But this year, our men will be better prepared to do the job soon after firefighters complete theirs,? Ghosh added.

?A pay-loader and an ambulance will remain parked on the premises of the civic headquarters on the Puja days,? said mayor-in-council member Rajib Deb.

Besides tackling disasters, the building department will also attend to allegations of illegal constructions.

The civic control room will be functional round-the-clock and anyone can lodge a complaint with 2286-1212/1313/1414. But the complaints will have to specify the addresses and the nature of illegal work.