Bengal increases security for Kali Puja and Chhath Puja
Authorities have ordered stricter crowd management following a stampede in Calcutta last month that resulted in 19 deaths.
West Bengal authorities have implemented stricter crowd-control and emergency protocols for the upcoming Kali Puja and Chhath Puja festivals. According to Urban Acres, these measures follow a stampede in Chorebagan, Calcutta, last month that killed 19 people.
State minister for libraries and mass education extension Gouri Shankar Ghosh said the administration is using lessons from the Chorebagan incident to add precautions. Ghosh alleged that political forces might try to cause disturbances and stated the administration suspects sabotage in the stampede, though no specific evidence was provided.
Opposition leaders criticised these claims. Trinamool Congress leader Biswajit Ghosh said the administration failed during the Chorebagan incident and is using allegations against opponents to hide that failure, while CPM leader Debjyoti Sinha called the government's comments irrelevant.
In Jalpaiguri, state school education minister Dipak Barman announced that drones will monitor crowds at Chhath Puja ghats. Barman also said additional emergency exit gates are now mandatory and Kali Puja organisers must appoint a committee member to manage visitors and make public announcements.