Kolkata gears up for mega Durga Puja carnival

The third edition of Kolkata’s mega Durga Puja immersion carnival is all set to begin on Tuesday evening. The event, a brainchild of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will take place on Red Road, a key arterial road in Central Kolkata. This year 75 Durga Puja committees will take part in the carnival.

According to Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials, the event will witness a gathering of at least 30,000 spectators. “We have made seating arrangements for 30,000. But most likely the gathering will be much larger,” said Debasish Kumar, Mayor-in-Council (Parks and Gardens, Sports, Advertisement) of KMC.

Around 1,500 foreign tourists will also be attending the carnival, he said.

Mamata Banerjee and several other cabinet ministers will also be attending the fest. “We have invited the judges of Calcutta High Court and officials of the Consulates in Kolkata,” said Kumar.

More than 2,000 police personnel are deployed at the venue alongwith bomb squads and sniffer dogs. “Drones will also be used for security purposes,” Kumar said.