The Jalpaiguri district administration has decided to take various precautionary measures for idol immersion during the upcoming Kali Puja and at Chhath Puja ghats across the flood-affected areas of Nagrakata, Dhupguri, Banarhat, Malbazar, and Meteli in Jalpaiguri district.

“Though monsoon has withdrawn from the state, considering the recent floods across the region, we have decided to maintain a strict security arrangement during the immersion of Kali idols and continue the same vigilance through Chhath Puja,” said Umesh Ganpath, superintendent of police, Jalpaiguri, on Wednesday.

Ganpath was speaking after a coordination meeting at the district magistrate’s
office.

An official source recalled that a flash flood in the Mal river near Malbazar town during Durga idol immersion in October 2022 had claimed eight lives.

Since then, the administration has imposed restrictions on immersion processions in Malbazar and increased surveillance across the district during Durga Puja, which passed off peacefully, as well as Kali Puja and Chhath festivities.

According to district officials, besides the four municipalities, over 100 immersion and Chhath Puja ghats will be operational in the panchayat areas this year.

The Jalpaiguri Kotwali police station area alone will oversee around 20 ghats, with immersions scheduled to be completed within a fixed time frame.

“In view of the back-to-back festivals this month, barricades will be set up along riverbanks during idol immersion. Devotees will be allowed to enter only knee-deep water during Chhath Puja, and all major ghats will be monitored through CCTV cameras,” the SP added.

District magistrate Shama Parveen said the irrigation and disaster management departments have
been instructed to monitor rainfall in Bhutan continuously during the festive period to anticipate any sudden rise in river levels.

Rainfall in Bhutan causes rivers to flood downstream, inundating north Bengal districts like Jalpaiguri.