Civic body spruces up Hooghly ghats for immersion

Kolkata: Major ghats along the Hooghly are being spruced up for immersion of Kali idols (for major community pujas), which will begin from November 16. During the three-day immersion process (deadline being November 18), over 3,000 idols are likely to get immersed in the Hooghly, said a Kolkata Municipal Corporation parks department official.
Accordingly, the KMC parks department has been sprucing up major ghats such as Bajekadamtolla ghat (Babughat), Judges ghat, Nimtolla ghat, Takta ghat (Kidderpore) along the Hooghly.
Apart from the ghats along the Hooghly, several major ponds and waterbodies in southern fringes and south-east Kolkata will be decked up for immersion, said a civic official. Among the ponds that are likely to be used as immersion venues, include Ranidighi, Layelka, Patuli waterbody and several waterbodies in Behala. “We will be keeping arrangements for immersion of around 1,000 idols in the ponds and water bodies. We are taking all sorts of precautions and building up infrastructure for the immersion process,” a KMC official said.
A KMC parks department official pointed out that the civic body and Kolkata Police will impose strict immersion rules as directed by Calcutta High Court. “We won’t allow more than two persons of a puja organizing committee during immersion at ghats along the Hooghly. Same rules will apply in case of ponds and water bodies,” said a KMC official.