Several lakh people have arrived from various parts of India to take the holy dip at Gangasagar on 15 January. As chief minister Mamata Banerjee already predicted, more than 40 lakh people will take the holy dip this year, according to estimates.

The district administration of South 24-Parganas is expecting more than 60 lakh people to take the holy dip. For the mela, the entire square has been covered with security. Police camps have been set up at various places, and CCTV cameras have been installed for the fair. Surveillance is also going on through drones. State transport minister Snehasish Chakraborty and  Sunderbans development minister Bankim Hazra supervised several spots of Gangasagar, especially visiting the Kapil Muni ashram to inspect the arrangement for pilgrims, as lakhs of devotees are coming from various parts of India to offer their puja at the sage’s ashram. As seashores 2, 3, and 3A were closed following the damage to embankments, the devotees’ queue was diverted to routes 5 and 6 for their hassle-free darshan.

The district administration set up QR codes everywhere so pilgrims could find arrangements for drinking water and ambulances in their nearest locations. This year, the district administration installed signs and symbols everywhere to facilitate the journey of disabled persons. Meanwhile, the district magistrate of South 24 Parganas, Sumit Gupta, launched a “no plastic” campaign near Sagar panchayat samiti cottage, near the Temple Road. Several NGO workers and common people participated in the programme. Meanwhile, the NDRF team deployed 11 dedicated female NDRF personnel to manage any emergency during high tide, as a huge number of pilgrims were taking a bath at Sagar.

NDRF commander Puspendu Singh said that in a step towards women empowerment, they have deployed a woman team this year. “We have more than 70 female personnel, who were trained regarding this management,” he said. Two persons were also airlifted from Gangasagar to Kolkata following their emergency condition. They were dropped by a chopper at Dumurjala at Howrah, from where they were transported to MR Bangur Hospital for further treatment.