Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma, accompanied by officials from utility services and the fire department, inspected several major Puja pandals on Friday to review safety measures.

Director-general of fire and emergency services Ranveer Kumar stressed the need for organisers to use government-licensed electricians, especially in view of rain forecasts. “We emphasised using licensed electricians to prevent fires and accidents due to short circuits or electrocution,” he said.

Commissioner Verma visited pandals including Chetla Agrani, Suruchi Sangha, Behala Natun Dal, Deshapriya Park, Tridhara Sammilani, Tala Prattoy, and College Square. The inspections focused on crowd management, electrical safety, emergency response, and disaster preparedness.

“With heavy rain today (Friday), we asked what arrangements have been made for similar situations during the Puja,” Verma said.

Police advised organisers to set up large, separate entry and exit gates and announced plans to install cyber awareness kiosks at major pandals.

An app providing real-time crowd count, directions, and nearest Metro station details for key pandals will be launched soon.

Around 3,000 Durga Pujas are officially registered with Kolkata Police, though the actual number, including household pujas, is much higher.