The Indian Navy has deployed a specialist team of divers at Gangasagar on the occasion of ‘makar sankranti’ for search and rescue operations in case of any eventuality.
The Indian Navy has deployed a specialist team of divers at Gangasagar on the occasion of ‘makar sankranti’ for search and rescue operations in case of any eventuality.
The West Bengal administration had requested the Indian Navy to deploy a diving team to prevent any untoward incident while hundreds and thousands of devotees converge at the Gangasagar.
The efforts were coordinated by the Naval Officer-in-Charge, Commodore Suprobho De on a special request from the State Government. De said, “Like every year, this year too, the Indian Navy has positioned a team of specialist diving team from January 8-17, 2019 for rescue and relief operations in case of any eventuality during the Gangasagar Mela. This deployment of the Indian Navy diving team from the Eastern Naval Command comprises 10 divers. The district administration of South 24 Parganas has also rendered full administrative support to the Indian Navy diving team.”
Hundreds and thousands of devotees converge at the Gangasagar each year and this time 18 - 20 lakh devotees are expected to visit this Mela which is rated as the second largest assembly of people after the quadrennial Kumbha Mela. The island is considered auspicious by the Hindus, who converge here at this time of the year to take the holy dip which is considered as a sacred wellspring of salvation.
Several lakhs devotees from across Indian and neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh congregate at the annual Ganga Sagar Mela to pay obeisance at Kapil Muni temple after taking a holy bath at the confluence of river Ganga off the Bay of Bengal.
In addition to the Indian Navy, NDRF and Indian Coast Guard teams will also be stationed at Gangasagar in subsequent days.
On the other hand, the South 24-Parganas district administration has made massive security arrangements. CCTVs, drones and helium balloons fitted with cameras will be deployed to monitor the crowds.
A control room has been set up for crowd control and surveillance.
All these arrangements have been put in place to prevent any stampede. In 2017, six devotees lost their lives when they were returning from Gangasagar and a stampede took place.
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 "Indian Navy deploys diving teams at Gangasagar for SAR operations")
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