The Ganga Sagar Mela, one of the biggest religious events of the country that witnesses the gathering of lakhs of pilgrims, is set for a revamp this year.
In a bid to ensure the pilgrims’ smooth access to facilities such as sanitation, help from the police and the administration as well as information about transportation, the West Bengal government has taken up several measures.
The six-day fair will start from next Sunday.
Pilgrims attending the annual fair at the Sagar Island, one among the cluster of islands at South 24 Parganas district, will be provided with various facilities such as toilets by the district administration.
“The Ganga Sagar Mela will be declared Green Mela this year. We are planning to set up at least 12,000 toilets at the venue,” South 24 Parganas District Magistrate P. B. Salim told The Hindu .
During the fair, the district administration will undertake an awareness campaign among pilgrims on the “ill-effects” of open defecation.
“We are expecting a 20 lakh-strong crowd of devotees this year and will launch a mobile app to provide them with all kinds of information ranging from transport to contact numbers of police officers,” said Mr. Salim, adding that the app would be launched on Monday.
Heavy police deployment and large-scale surveillance will be there at the mela venue. According to district officials, the app is free and users will be able to get detailed information such as modes of transport, direction to the Sagar Islands as well as travel expenditures.
They will also be able to know the locations of resting places and other accommodation in the route.
