Police order temporary closure of major durga puja pandals in Kolkata

Late on Saturday evening, local authorities instructed multiple prominent Durga Puja committees in Kolkata to temporarily shut down public access to their pandals. This directive came just hours following a severe crowd crush at a different festival venue that resulted in eighteen fatalities and twenty-five injuries, according to an official statement.

Among the high-profile celebrations directed to halt visitors' entry were prominent crowd-drawers such as 'Tala Pratyay', 'Alipore Sarbojanin', 'Chetla Agrani', and 'Ballygunge Sarbojonin'. Furthermore, the scheduled event at Allen Park was called off.

Sajal Ghosh, president of the Santosh Mitra Square Puja committee, noted that organizers had temporarily limited public admission to their site. "We are unable to permit every attendee inside, so we have significantly reduced visitor numbers," he explained.

A high-ranking Kolkata Police official said, "Whenever reports of heavy congestion reach us, we instruct the organizers to halt public entry immediately. This is an interim measure, and a fresh assessment may occur tomorrow."

In a similar move within the nearby Bidhannagar satellite township, major celebrations—including those in Salt Lake, which hosts several large-scale events—were also ordered to suspend public entry, a law enforcement representative confirmed. "We have made the decision to direct puja committees to block visitors from entering the marquees," the officer mentioned.

A senior government official added that the state administration and Kolkata Police leadership would convene a review meeting regarding the matter on Sunday. Approximately 3,500 Durga Puja events are currently taking place across the metropolis.  (Source: Deccan Chronicle)