The Indian Coast Guard has deployed its boats and aircraft to provide security in the ongoing Gangasagar Mela at the Sagar Island of South 24 Parganas in West Bengal.
Meanwhile, devotees took a holy dip in the Ganges at Gangasgar for the second straight day Sunday, marking Makar Sankranti.
One of the most auspicious times in the year, Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun from Dakshinayan to Uttarayan. Taking a dip in the Ganges is believed to be sacred on the occasion.
Devotees and sadhus from different parts of the country flocked to Gangasagar Mela for the holy dip on the occasion of the harvest festival. Devotees offer prayers to the sun god.
A prominent festival on the Indian calendar, Makar Sankranti marks the first day of the sun’s transit into the Makara, marking the end of the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
Speaking about the elaborate security arrangements made by the Indian Coast Guard, Abhijit Dasgupta, Commanding officer of the Indian Coast Guard (Kolkata), said that the coast guard boats and aircraft have been deployed in the area to keep a strict vigil on the mela and prevent any untoward incident.
The maritime boundary with Bangladesh is nearby. Keeping this in view, the Coast Guard ships have been pressed into action. Also, surveillance is being conducted from the sky,” he said.
He also informed that the Indian Coast guard is working in close coordination with the NDRF, SDRF and district administration to provide security at the mela.
Two sniffer dogs have also been deployed as part of search and rescue operations if required.
“It is a new initiative where we have deployed dogs for search operations in water. Two dogs have been trained for the purpose and we have also gained success from them,” said, Sudhir Dwivedi, Assistant Commandant of NDRF.
On the other hand, West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose said around 14,000 police personnel have been deployed at the fair site for security reasons, adding that over 31 lakh pilgrims had arrived for the auspicious occasion.
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