After the death of 19 people in a stampede here, the West Bengal Health Department has decided to deploy doctors at five crowd-puller Durga Puja pandals in the metropolis to ensure quick medical care in case of any eventuality, according to an official order.
Leaves of doctors, health workers and all administrative officials have been cancelled. IAS officers on leave have been asked to rejoin duty immediately.
The order stated that teams, including medical officers and doctors of the rank of assistant professor, would be stationed at the five pandals from 5 pm to 6 am from October 19 to October 21, when Durga Puja ends.
Doctors from the Nil Ratan Sircar (NRS) Medical College and Hospital will be deployed at nearby Santosh Mitra Square, while a team of medicos from the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital will be stationed at the Tala Prattoy puja pandal.
Teams from the Medical College, Kolkata will cover the famed College Square Durga Puja, those from the National Medical College will be deployed at Ekdalia Evergreen, and doctors from SSKM Hospital will be on duty at Chetla Agrani pandal.
The health department has directed major hospitals in the city to keep their emergency departments fully functional during the festival.
Orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and anaesthetists have to be present so that emergency surgeries for trauma cases can be performed without delay in the event of a major accident, the order said.
As many as 19 people died, and 25 were injured in a stampede at Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday following a crowd surge amid rain.
The health administration in North 24 Parganas has been asked to remain extra vigilant in view of the large gatherings expected at the Dakshineswar temple complex and for idol immersion in Taki.
The department warned that those failing to comply with the order would face disciplinary action, including dismissal or suspension.
Seven arrested till now
Police arrested seven people in connection with the tragedy, which struck the pandal on Saturday. Several others were initially detained for questioning.
Those arrested by Kolkata Police on Sunday include Raj Kumar Sewda, secretary of this year’s Durga Puja committee; Santanu Dubey, its vice-president; Biplab Mukherjee, the contractor responsible for the bamboo structure; Koushik Saha and Pintu Dey, who were involved in crowd control; and Suman Chakraborty and Rajesh Pal, private security supervisors.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said that his government would seek the approval of the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court for a sitting judge to head a special investigation team (SIT) to ensure an impartial probe into the stampede.
Adhikari accompanied Union Home Minister Amit Shah on a visit to a private hospital on Sunday to meet the people who were injured in the tragedy.
“I went to the hospital and met with the devotees injured in the accident that occurred at the Chorebagan Durga Puja Samity’s pandal in Kolkata and inquired about their physical condition. In this difficult time, the West Bengal government stands firmly by the side of every injured individual and affected family. I pray to Mother Durga that all injured individual and affected family. I pray to Mother Durga that all injured persons recover quickly,” Shah posted on X.
He cancelled his plan to go to some of the pandals in Kolkata, as well as a visit to Ramakrishna Mission’s headquarters in Belur Math, following the tragedy.
Police are investigating whether inadequate crowd management, confusion over announcements and the arrangements for entry and exit contributed to the disaster.
The tragedy has also cast a shadow over the first Durga Puja season since Adhikari took office as chief minister following the BJP’s victory and the defeat of the Trinamool Congress in the state assembly elections earlier this year.
A team of senior officials has begun inspecting major pandals across the city to assess crowd-control arrangements and identify potential hazards. Nine experienced Indian Police Service officers have also been assigned to assist the Kolkata Police with crowd management during the Durga Puja season.
The state’s Fire Services Department issued notices to three prominent Durga Puja committees in South Kolkata, Tridhara Sammilani, Ballygunge Cultural Association and Chetla Agrani, over fire-safety deficiencies reportedly identified during inspections.
The committees have been asked to address the concerns and take corrective measures immediately.