Thousands of devotees are slated to converge at the Tarapith temple on Kaushiki Amabasya on Sept 10
Kolkata: The Birbhum district administration has put in place extensive safety arrangements for Kaushiki Amabasya on Sept 10, when thousands of devotees are expected to converge at Tarapith — for the first time after a hotel fire last month killed eight people in the temple town. On fire safety, 200 firemen and eight robot fire tenders with high-power pumps will be deployed for rapid emergency response, alongside a 25-member Arjun Vahini disaster response team. Bathing ghats have been barricaded with nets, and speed boats and rescue vans will remain stationed until Sept 12. On security, 4,000 police personnel will be on duty across 27 assistance booths, supported by 400 CCTV cameras, 11 watch towers, drone surveillance and face recognition cameras at strategic locations, according to a senior police officer.
Fire safety checks and drills at hotels began on Wednesday and have been made mandatory.