The district administrations of Jalpaiguri and Malda have announced a slew of measures to prevent mishaps during the upcoming Kali Puja immersions and Chhath Puja rituals in water, in view of the Malbazar flash flood on Dashami that claimed eight lives.

Both Kali Puja and Chhath Puja would be celebrated next week.

“It has been decided that nets, bamboo sticks and ropes would be used to create temporary barricades in rivers and streams near the banks. During Chhath Puja, devotees will perform their rituals within the barricades and they cannot move further. After Kali Puja, the organisers have been requested to carry out the immersions only during the day,” said Moumita Godara Basu, the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri.

According to administrative sources, in all the river banks where idols will be immersed or Chhath Puja rituals performed, volunteers of civil defence as well as civic volunteers who know swimming will be deputed with ropes, loudhailers and other equipment.

“The water level of rivers will be monitored in a regular manner, and if there is any sudden rise in levels, the devotees will be asked to move away from the river. We urge devotees to perform the pujas in smaller water bodies and streams to avert the risk of flash flood,” said an official.

For immersing Kali idols, vehicle recovery vans and excavators will be deployed on river banks. “Usually, youths carry the idols into the river. This time, we do not want to take any risk,” the official added.

The irrigation department has been asked to run a 24/7 control room till the end of festivities.

“We will monitor the water levels in rivers and in case of any abrupt rise, the information will be passed to officials of the concerned blocks so that they can act and ask people to maintain safe distance from the river,” said Debabrata Dutta, the executive engineer of Jalpaiguri division of the department.

“All the ghats will be temporarily barricaded during immersion of Kali idols and during Chhath Puja,” added Nitin Singhania, the Malda district magistrate.

Official sources in Malda said people will be allowed to move up to 10 metres into the river. Five speedboats will be engaged for major rivers.

“One such boat will be used at Parlalpur ghat in Kaliachak-III block. The other boats will be sent to the Ganga at Manikchak and Ratua-II block. Two boats will be used in Mahananda at Englishbazar and Old Malda block,” said a source.