The Kolkata Municipal Corporation today announced winners of Kolkata Shree Awards given to different puja committees under its limits.

Two puja committees, including Tala Prattoy and Suruchi Sangha bagged the award as the ‘Serar Sera’ Puja for another year in a row while Ahiritola Sarbojanin Durgatsab and Kalighat Milan Sangha became new entrants in the category this year.

As announced by mayor Firhad Hakim, four puja committees this year have been chosen as the ‘Sera Puja’ category. The winners include Alipore Sarbojanin, Kashi Bose Lane, Kendua Shanti Sangha and Rajdanga Naba Udyan Sangha. Even in the ‘Sera Protima’ category, four clubs namely 41 Pally Club Haridevpur, Ekdalia Evergreen Club, Ballygunge Cultural Association, Sikdar Bagan Sadharan Durgotsab have been declared winners by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

As informed by the member-mayor-in-council for parks and square, Debasis Kumar, Mudiali Club, Badamtala Ashar Sangha, Nalin Sarkar Street Sarbojanin and Maniktala Chaltabagan Lohapatti have been given the award for the best lighting while Thakurpukur SB Park, Hatibagan Sarbojanin, Chakraberia, Sarbojanin Durgotsab and Bakul Bagan Sarbojanin have been declared winners of ‘Sera Bisoy’ category.

Notably, the number of awardees under the Mayor’s Choice Awards, which is the highlight of the Kolkata Shree Awards, this time has reduced to 91 as compared to 138 of the last year. Some of the committees, bagging the award under the Mayor’s Choice Awards category this year, include 62 Pally Harish Mukherjee Road, 64 Pally Durgotsab Committee, 66 Pally Club, 74 Pally Sarbojanin, Abasar Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity, Babubagan Sarbojanin, Haridevpur New Sporting Club, Ultadanga Telenga Bagan, Kalighat Kishore Sangha, Bosepukur Shitala Mandir, Bhawanipur Muktadal Durga Puja, Bhawanipore Swadhin Sangha, Behala Debdaru Fatak and so on.

KMC lens on avoiding erosion of ghats

With The Ganga changing its course over the last few years, the KMC is considering seeking a detailed project report by the city port authorities to prevent erosion at the ghats of Kolkata.

According to the KMC mayor, massive erosion has taken place at Nimtala Ghat. The mayor along with the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port officials and experts also visited the Baje Kadamtala Ghat today to take note of the situation before the immersion. As informed by Mr Hakim, the visit was aimed at seeing and assessing risks of mishaps during the upcoming immersion of idols at the ghat. “The port trust has been called to discuss what help they could provide on the issue of erosion of the ghats and also to see if there could be any problems during the upcoming immersion period,” informed the mayor. “Actually, there has been a change in the course of the Ganga. The side of Howrah like Belur Math has had vast stretches of siltation while this side of the river from here till Falta is turning dangerous,” he added.