New ramp system halts Siliguri Durga idol immersion as political rows unfold in Kolkata

Durga idol immersion at the Mahananda Ghat in Siliguri faced a 20-minute halt on Wednesday due to a technical failure in a newly installed ramp system. The Siliguri Municipal Corporation arranged this special ramp at the Lal Mohan Mollick Niranjan Ghat to make the immersion of large idols easier and safer. Corporation secretary Pranav Anoop Soren inaugurated the setup on Wednesday morning before the disruption occurred. Officials fixed the fault and restarted the system, though the process took about 20 to 30 minutes per idol, raising questions about the speed and usefulness of the new arrangement. Authorities stated that officials used smaller idols as a trial run and expect the process to speed up over time, with immersions permitted at the Mahananda Ghat and Parvati Ghat until October 24, including 225 idols on the first day. Meanwhile, in Kolkata, political and administrative developments marked Bijaya Dashami as leaders reviewed safety and traditions. Leader Suvendu Adhikari reviewed immersion arrangements at Babughat alongside Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand and Kolkata Municipal Commissioner Smita Panda, stating that only those who follow Sanatan Dharma should touch the idols to maintain religious purity and traditions. Adhikari also noted that security is tight following a stampede at a Chorbagan Durga pandal that caused 19 deaths, with NDRF teams deployed and cleanup scheduled after immersions. To monitor the process, 18 IPS officers have been assigned across three police commissionerates in Kolkata and surrounding areas from Wednesday until October 24, including 12 in Kolkata and others in Howrah, Barrackpore, and Chandannagar. Additionally, West Bengal Governor R.N. Ravi and Suvendu Adhikari extended Vijaya Dashami greetings to the public.

Context

Durga idol immersion is a major annual cultural and religious event across West Bengal, requiring extensive coordination between civic bodies, police forces, and local administrations to manage large crowds safely. Authorities typically deploy special infrastructure like ramps and heavy security monitoring during this period to handle thousands of heavy idols while preventing accidents near riverbanks.