She will take stock of security, infrastructure arrangements.
File Photo
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will leave for Gangasagar tomorrow to review the preparations for the fair that will be held from 8 to 17 January. According to Miss Banerjee’s itinerary, she will arrive at the Gangasagar helipad at 1:45 pm and return to Kolkata the next day.
During her two-day visit, she would inaugurate a bridge in Kakdwip block, under the state sundarban affairs department. She will begin her tour with the visit to the Bharat Sevashram Ashram and then offer prayers at the Kapil Muni Ashram.
A few inaugurations have also been scheduled during the occasion. Though no administrative meeting has been scheduled during Miss Banerjee’s visit, sources said she will take stock of the security and infrastructure arrangements that have been planned for the event. The mela is likely to witness a huge crowd on 13 and 14 January as high tide is expected on these two days.
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The annual mela on Sagar Island, one of the biggest religious events of the country, attracts lakhs of people who take a dip at the confluence of river Ganges and Bay of Bengal on Makar Sankranti and offer prayers at the Kapil Muni temple.
Miss Banerjee has already urged the authorities of Eastern Railways to increase the frequency of trains to Namkhana during the event and announced that around 2,250 government buses and 500 private buses will be in service for the pilgrims. There will be four barges, 32 vessels and 100 launch services for transportation of the pilgrims to the mela venue.
There will be adequate measures for preventing untoward incidents like stampedes with 1,150 CCTV cameras installed at the premises. There will be one air ambulance, four water ambulances and 100 ambulances. Beds will be reserved for the pilgrims at nearby hospitals in Diamond Harbour, Sagar, Kakdwip and other health centres in case they fall sick. The medical facilities will be in place from 9 January. Three helipads have been set up at Sagar
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