Elaborate preparations have started for the Durga Puja carnivals to be held in Siliguri, Raiganj and Cooch Behar towns on Thursday.

In the carnivals, selected Puja clubs will take the idols on trucks, accompanied by cultural troupes, across the town on a fixed route before immersion.

In Siliguri, the municipal corporation, along with the Siliguri Metropolitan Police, is making arrangements for the event.

Preparations include the installation of CCTV cameras and live streaming of the carnival in giant LED screens at different locations of the city.

On Wednesday, mayor Gautam Deb inspected the entire route of the carnival and the Mahatma Gandhi More, the main venue where the event would be held. He was accompanied by deputy mayor Ranjan Sarkar, civic officials and police officers.

“Ten major Puja committees, a local cultural group, a team of state information and cultural affairs department and the tourism department with tableaux will participate in the carnival. They will start arriving at the crossing from 5.30pm and onwards. There will be cultural performances at the venue for around four-and-a-half hours. We are planning to finish the programme by 10pm,” said Deb.

Sources said 32 CCTV cameras have been installed for the event. "Giant LED screens would be installed at MG More, Sevoke More and Siliguri Junction areas so that people can also enjoy the event through live streaming,” the source added.

In Raiganj, 22 clubs will participate in the carnival, which will take place onMG Road, the principal thoroughfare that connects the east and western ends of the town.

However, a height bar at a railway level crossing in the town has come as a poser for Puja committees that plan to participate in the carnival.

The bar was installed after electrification on the rail route to prevent electrocution-related accidents.

The height barrier at the railway level crossing in Raiganj town, which has posed a problem for Puja committees intending to join the carnival. Picture by Kousik Sen

“Vehicles with a height of 16 feet can pass under the level crossing. For the carnival, the clubs have hired trucks. Once they put the idols on the trucks, the height will be over 16 feet. We are not allowing idols on trucks through the level crossing once it is more than 15.5 feet tall,” said a source in the administration.

That is why most of the clubs would not be able to cross the level crossing to cover the entire route of the carnival, which is from Gitanjali cinema hall to Bidrohi More.

“On both sides, the clubs will be able to cover only a portion of the route. Some of the organisers are trying to hire low-height trailers and trolleys from Calcutta and Siliguri. But we doubt how many of them would be able to get such vehicles. It will also deprive the residents of the town from enjoying the carnival,” said Sonali Roy, a Raiganj resident.

Arrangements are also going on in Cooch Behar where the carnival will be held onThursday at Biswa Singha Road of the town.

Thirty-five clubs will participate at the event, said Rabindranath Ghosh, the civic chairman.

Additional reporting by our Cooch Behar correspondent