To prevent pollution during Chhath Puja, authorities are closing Rabindra and Subhash Sarovar to the public.
The KMDA, which is in charge of the maintenance of the two lakes, is going to announce this very soon. As many as 300 police personnel will be deployed in the two lakes to prevent anyone from forcibly entering the lake. There will also be two officers of the rank of deputy commissioner.
The Chhath Puja celebrations at Rabindra and Subhash Sarovar have been closed for the last few years on the orders of the National Environment Court. However, in 2022, many people forcefully entered the lake, ignoring and violating the ban. The administration is reluctant to keep any loopholes in surveillance, so it does not happen again.
Even though the lakes are closed, all arrangements have been made in the nearby ponds so that there is no problem during the puja. As many as 39 temporary ghats have also been set up in Kolkata, the KMDA said. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is in charge of constructing alternative ghats in the area adjacent to Subhash Sarovar. KMDA has built alternative ghats around Rabindra Sarovar. Temporary bio-toilets will be set up around the ghats. There will be temporary tents for changing clothes.
Apart from this, first aid facilities will also be provided at every ghat. The KMDA has directed the municipal corporation to clean the ghats within 5 hours of the puja. The KMDA authorities said that they will help the municipal corporation in all matters, including medical camps, garbage cleaning and lighting.
On the other hand, on the day of Chhath Puja, from 6 am to 8 am, firecrackers can be burst only for two hours. However, the Pollution Control Board has requested Lalbazar to keep an eye on the firecrackers so that no other firecrackers other than green firecrackers are burst.
A Kolkata Police official said, "All police stations will be campaigning for the bursting of green crackers as per the norms. Action will be taken in accordance with the law if the rules are broken. Sumita Bandyopadhyay has been an activist for the protection of the environment of the two lakes for a long time. "Hopefully, the administration will be successful in complying with the National Environmental Court's directive this time as well," she said.
