The state government is leaving no stones unturned to ensure a difficulty-free experience for the devotees coming for the annual Gangasagar Mela. Lakhs of people from across the country visit Gangasagar to take a holy dip at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal and the river Ganga in January every year.

The state’s biggest fair is organised at Sagar island in this connection. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting to take stock of preparations for the Gangasagar Mela at Nabanna Sabhaghar this afternoon. The Mela will be held from 8 to 17 January. Makar Sankranti is on 15 January.

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Pilgrims will take a holy dip at the confluence of Bay of Bengal and river Ganga from 12.13 a.m. on 16 January to 12.15 p.m. on 17 January as this period is considered to be auspicious. Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi, Home Secretary BP Gopalika, Director General of Police Manoj Malaviya and Commissioner of Police for Kolkata Vineet Goyal, along with senior officials of 18 departments attended the meeting.

Representatives of the Indian Navy, NDRF, Coast Guard were also present. State ministers including Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, and Snehashis Chakraborty were also present at the meeting. “Gangasagar mela is our pride and we should all work together to make it a success.

It is an example of communal peace and harmony and we should all work to preserve the tradition and legacy of peace of our state,” Miss Banerjee said. She said state ministers Chandrima Bhattacharya, Dr Shashi Panja, Partha Bhowmick and Pulak Roy will coordinate the administrative arrangements from the city. Other ministers will be posted at various strategic points. Miss Banerjee said that more than 2,500 state buses, 250 public buses and 32 vessels will be deployed to ferry the pilgrims to the fair venue.

Snehashis Chakraborty said 200 buses will be deployed to carry the pilgrims from Kachuberia to the Mela ground, covering a distance of 30 kms. Senior railway officials said 66 extra trains will run to carry the pilgrims. The Chief Minister said the entire mela ground will be brightly illuminated.

Mr Aroop Biswas informed that the state power department will install anti-fog lights. Ten thousand policemen will be deployed to maintain law and order. CCTVs will be installed and twenty drones will be deployed to maintain a vigil. There will be arrangements to meet any medical emergency.

There will be makeshift camps and adequate numbers of doctors, nurses and para medical staffs will be deployed. There will be ICCU units and ambulances and air ambulances will be kept ready. There will be roundthe-clock monitoring by the Fire and Emergency Services department and fire tenders will be kept ready.

Miss Banerjee said requests would be made to the private television channels to telecast the Aarati at the Kapil Muni temple. Miss Banerjee said dredging operations have been carried in the channels and this would improve navigability. Water pouches will be distributed. Mr Aroop Biswas said it was very risky to light fires to cook food, which some pilgrims do despite food being distributed to them. Announcements will be made through public address system in multiple languages.

Mr Firhad Hakim suggested that when movement of vessels is suspended, pilgrims should be kept confined at the mela ground. More than 142 NGOs small and big will work round-the-clock at the mela ground. More than 3,000 Solid Waste Management staff will be pressed into service to keep the area clean.