Ministers, DM lend support in cleaning Gangasagar beaches, hail it ‘nature-friendly’
The Statesman | 17 January 2026
Soon after the conclusion of the Gangasagar Mela, the South 24-Parganas district administration on Friday launched an extensive cleanliness drive across all beaches in the mela zone.
Nearly 3,000 sanitation workers were deployed to clean six major sea-front stretches, restoring the coastline to a pristine condition within a day. State ministers Aroop Biswas, Bankim Hazra, Becharam Manna, Sujit Bose, Snehasis Chakraborty and Pulak Roy, along with District Magistrate Arvind Kumar Meena, personally participated in the post-fair cleanliness campaign and interacted with sanitation workers and beach guards.
Praising the effort, power and housing minister Aroop Biswas described the Gangasagar Mela as one of the most environment-friendly fairs not only in India but across the world. “To my knowledge, there is no other fair anywhere in the world where such a massive gathering leaves almost no trace behind. People come, take the holy dip and leave, while our 3,000 beach guards and sanitation workers immediately collect any waste that is left behind. They deserve our salute,” Biswas said. He added that while the work of sanitation staff often goes unnoticed, their contribution in keeping the sea beaches clean was beyond praise.
“Their dedication ensured that the sanctity of the coastline was maintained throughout the fair,” he said. Referring to the massive turnout, Biswas said nearly 1.3 crore pilgrims visited Gangasagar this year. “Managing a gathering of this scale is possible only under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. She had instructed us to ensure that pilgrims from different states and countries face no inconvenience, and every department associated with the mela followed that instruction in letter and spirit,” he said. Biswas also reiterated the demand for national fair status for the Gangasagar Mela. “Whether or not someone officially declares it a national fair no longer matters. People from across India and abroad have already given it that recognition. Sometimes, official certificates are unnecessary when public acceptance is overwhelming,” he said, adding that the mela had also earned recognition as an environment-friendly fair.
Agriculture marketing minister Becharam Manna highlighted the state government’s commitment to the ‘Mission Nirmal Bangla’ initiative aimed at keeping West Bengal clean and plastic-free. “This year we can confidently say it was a ‘super clean’ Gangasagar Mela. Our solid waste management facilities worked round the clock, with countless workers ensuring proper segregation and recycling,” he said. Manna said self-help group women transformed discarded items left behind by pilgrims into decorative and utility products, some of which were sold at the mela. “Plastic waste has already been used to construct nearly 130 km of pitched roads from gram panchayat offices. At the Srishtishree stall, products made from waste generated sales of around Rs 50 lakh, proving that the mela also provides significant economic support to local communities,” he said.
He further announced that two permanent solid waste management units and a faecal sludge management system would be set up before the next mela to ensure more scientific waste disposal. Fire and disaster management minister Sujit Bose said the mela had improved every year. “I have been coming here for many years and each time the arrangements are better than before. All departments have worked sincerely. Today marks the end of the mela, but our efforts to improve it will continue,” he said.