The flash flood in the Mal river of Jalpaiguri that led to the death of eight persons late on Wednesday evening prompted the administrations of different districts to announce a slew of preventive measures for Durga Puja organisers during the rest of the Durga immersions.

The tragedy has also prised open questions on whether a mechanism can be evolved at the districts to draw up plans in advance to reduce the possibility of such tragedies.

“All the clubs have been told that not even a single member can walk into the river with the idols for immersion. Workers engaged by the local civic body and the administration will do this task. In fact, they will even bring back a pot full of the river water after immersion according to the ritual. The rivers have swollen in retreating monsoon and we don’t want to take any risk particularly after the Malbazar incident,” said a senior administrative official of Malda.

In Malda town, over 100 Durga idols are immersed in the Mahananda river at the ghat on Bandh Road near the Ramakrishna Mission. In Alipurduar, a similar arrangement has been made, said administrative sources, keeping in mind the upcoming Kali Puja.

In Bengal, the number of Kali Puja is almost three times more than the Durga Puja. This year, over 40,000 Durga Puja committees have received grants from the state government.

“This gives a clear indication of the number of Kali idols to be immersed at the end of this month. That is why restrictions which we have imposed for the immersion of Durga Puja are likely to be in force during Kali Puja…. We can’t be sure of the weather,” said an administrative official.He said that in Alipurduar, idols are immersed in rivers like the Kaljani, Mujnai and Torsha, all of which originate from Bhutan hills.“If there is intense rainfall in upper catchment areas, there is always a chance that water will descend at a high speed, causing flash floods downstream. Unlike rivers which flow in plains, these rivers flood faster,” he added.

A worker on Thursday dismantles a pandal erected at the ghat in Malbazar. Biplab Basak

The Mal incident, the first of its kind in recent years, has also led to the demand that ahead of the immersion days, the administrations of different districts should consult the irrigation department, authorities which run the barrages from water is regularly released, and the weather office. They should come up with an SOP (standard operating procedure) on immersion, “said Subir Sarkar, a former professor of North Bengal University.

Carnival cancelled

The Jalpaiguri district administration on Thursday evening decided to cancel the Durga Puja carnival that was supposed to be held in Jalpaiguri town on Friday.

Sources said that since Thursday morning, representatives of a number of prominent clubs of the town had started putting up posts on social media saying that they did not want to participate in the carnival — a procession of Durga puja idols with cultural events planned in the town — because of the flash flood tragedy on Wednesday that claimed eight lives.

“Around 50 clubs were supposed to participate at the carnival. But by today evening (Wednesday), it was found that hardly a handful of clubs were interested to participate in it. That is why it has been cancelled,” said a source in the Jalpaiguri district administration.