Kolkata, Jan 5 (IANS): The West Bengal government has received an alert from the central intelligence agencies of possible illegal infiltration by Bangladeshis using the coastal borders to take advantage of massive gathering at Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district on the occasion of Gangasagar Mela.
Following the alert, the Sundarbans district police, under whose jurisdiction Sagar Islands comes, had decided to ensure absolute security at the coastal entry points to the Gangasagar Mela Venue.
"The two coastal entry points to Sagar Islands are Lot Number 8 of Kakdwip and Namkhana Chemaguri. A total of 13,000 police personnel will be deployed for Gangasagar Mela. Now after the central intelligence agency input, we have decided to give special security focus on these two coastal entry points to Sagar Islands,” said a district police official.
Personnel of the coastal police division will be constantly patrolling the coastal waters adjacent to the Sagar Islands.
The Indian Coast Guard will also be deployed during the Gangasagar Mela days.
The Gangasagar Mela this time is scheduled to start on January 8 and the last day of the event is January 17. The time for a holy bath on the occasion of Makar Sankranti is scheduled from 6.58 a.m. on January 14 to the same time on January 15.
The maximum turnout takes place during the period of the holy bath of Makar Sankranti.
The district police official further said that a total of 1,150 CCTV cameras have already been installed at Sagar Island for the occasion.
"Besides ensuring the prevention of the illegal Bangladesh infiltrators, the target is also to ensure that the annual event this year is completed peacefully. That is why we are taking extra precautions this year. "
"Generally, security measures are beefed up during the Gangasagar Mela days every year. However, this time some extra precautions are being adopted in wake of alerts that illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators might try to create trouble during the occasion amid the political crisis in the neighbouring nation," the official added.