The police and civil administration have alerted Durga Puja organisers about adhering to the Covid-19 protocol s they celebrate Durga Puja this time around. The Siliguri Metropolitan Police (SMP) is planning to launch a mobile application for the first time for pandal hoppers, while the police will also fly drones as part of security arrangements and surveillance.

According to Siliguri police commissioner Gaurav Sharma, they have given paramount importance to the Covid protocol during the Pujas. Mr Sharma has asked puja organisers to ensure that visitors wear masks and maintain physical distance.

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“We are giving paramount importance to the Covid protocol, and everyone should properly follow this. Precautionary steps like wearing masks, frequent sanitisation, physical distance are very important,” he told a coordination meeting with puja organisers in Siliguri today.

According to Siliguri Sub Divisional Officer Srinivas Patil, it was important for all to strictly follow the Covid guidelines, especially ahead of the projected third wave of the coronavirus.

Highlighting the guidelines, Deputy Commissioner of the SMP (Headquarters) Amitava Maiti said pandals should be open and spacious and that overcrowding should be avoided. Organisers should also arrange for adequate masks and sanitisers. There will be 618 community Durga Pujas under the SMP this year, including around 300 under the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) area alone. Public health specialists have cautioned that violation of the Covid protocol might trigger a surge in Covid cases.

Mr Sharma said they were planning to unveil a mobile application so that people can get access to locations of the pandals, local police stations, police assistance booths, hospitals and nursing homes. “It will have an SOS option, which will connect people directly with the police control room,” he said.

The police chief said drones will be flown to monitor the crowd pattern. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle will be used from Mahalaya (6 October) to Bijaya Dasami (16 October). The five-day festivities will begin on 11 October. The dates for the immersion are 15, 16 and 17 October. Police said they are not encouraging large processions, while not more than 15 persons will be allowed for each puja committee during the immersion.

A dedicated police team will also be deployed for the security of women, and 18 police assistance booths will be set up under different police stations while CCTV cameras will be installed at strategic locations. Mr Sharma said special safety focus would be laid on pujas located near railway tracks.

The deputy commissioner of the SMP (Traffic), Avishek Gupta, said traffic restrictions will be in place on 10 and 11 October, between 4 pm and 2 am, and from 4 pm to 4 am between 12 October and 16 October.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the board of administrators of the SMC, Gautam Deb, who chaired a puja preparatory meeting with Darjeeling district magistrate S Ponnambalam, Mr Maiti and other officers of some departments today, said puja permissions will be given both online and offline mode from
22 September- 4 October.