West Bengal officials have said that the Gangasagar Mela, which began on January 1, has broken records with an unprecedented one crore 10 lakh pilgrims in attendance this year.
The Minister of Power and Youth Affairs, Aroop Biswas, who lauded the event’s organization, attributed its seamless execution to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s initiatives.
He also highlighted the national importance of the Gangasagar Mela, which has a large participation of devotees from various states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
However, reportedly, six persons lost their lives at the Mela, including four from Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, nine people required emergency medical airlift due to illness.
Biswas addressed concerns over the lack of investment proposals in Gangasagar Mela compared to the Mahakumbh Mela, and stated that the West Bengal government prioritizes the well-being of pilgrims and aims to provide care and support, akin to a mother caring for her children.
According to Biswas, the West Bengal government’s primary focus is on organizing the Gangasagar Mela, rather than generating revenue from it.
“You can’t look for income in everything. The chief minister has monitored this 24X7. Gangasagar mela this year has been smooth,” the Minister said.
A total of more than 13 thousand policemen have been deployed for security of the devotees as well as the event and 62 joint screens have been installed, which are helpful in maintaining a vigil at various places.
Additionally, 44 watch towers have been installed from where security personnel are monitoring the movements.
Arrangements at the fair have been made to ensure safety and crowd control through eight LED vans, 18 anti-criminal patrolling teams, 18 missing person squads, 2 sniffer squads, 28 river squads, 617 drop gates and 50 food patrolling teams.
Seven Wi-Fi zones and satellite phones have been arranged for the convenience of pilgrims.
To facilitate transportation for pilgrims in Gangasagar, water and road transport arrangements include 21 jetties, nine barges, 32 vessels, 120 launches along with 2,250 government buses and 250 private buses.
According to officials, a total of 455 pickpocketing incidents were reported in the last four days, out of which 432 cases were resolved.
“895 individuals were arrested for various illegal activities. Notably, 6,632 people went missing, with 6,627 successfully reunited with their families,” said Biswas.
The officials also said 1,123 metric tons of waste has been generated — a mix of biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials. Despite the distribution of jute, paper, and biodegradable bags, significant plastic waste, including bags, was observed throughout the Mela, including on bathing beaches.