Mamata reviews Gangasagar Mela preparations, cautions against attempts to create unrest

Anticipating a huge rush at the upcoming Gangasagar Mela, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the administration was taking necessary steps to ensure the success of the annual religious event.

Asserting that the ''Gangasagar Mela is organised on the same scale as the Kumbh Mela'', the CM, who took stock of the state's preparedness for the annual congregation, urged central government offices, the railways, the Army, the Navy and the NDRF to extend necessary assistance to the state for the event, scheduled to be held from January 8-17.

The CM also cautioned against people who might try to sabotage the mela or create unrest.

''This time, the number of pilgrims at Gangasagar mela is expected to be more (than what it was in the past few years). We are well prepared for it. We also urge the central government offices, the Army, Navy, the Coast guard and disaster management departments to help us in ensuring that the mela gets smoothly conducted,'' Banerjee said at a meeting held at the state secretariat.

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.

The CM said that the state is taking requisite measures for the security of all pilgrims.

She asked several senior ministers and top police officers to visit the island and review the preparations from time to time during the nine-day long fair.

''There'll be people trying to play spoilsport... and make others suffer. Care should be taken so that no one enters the fair with arms or even a stove. No one should be allowed to light stoves in camps. ''Some people might be making plans to sabotage the event, spark riots. We must spoil their plans,'' she maintained. The CM also said that 10 temporary fire stations will be set up at the venue to handle eventualities ''A mega control room will be set up for monitoring all movements during the Gangasagar mela. As many as 1,150 CCTVs will be used for surveillance, besides drones,'' Banerjee stated.

She said that arrangements for 2,250 government buses, alongside 500 private buses, have been made to ferry the pilgrims to the island.

The CM also requested the railways to deploy additional trains for the event. Banerjee said 100 ambulances apart from one air ambulance and four water ambulances will be stationed at the venue for emergencies.

Facilities such as ''e-bathing, e-darshan and e-puja'' will also be made available for the devotees.

Efforts will be made to keep the venue plastic-free.