Focus on safety, preparations afoot for low-key Durga puja

With just about a month to go for Durga puja - biggest annual extravaganza in West Bengal - preparations have begun across city, albeit at a lower scale this time, as organisers chalk out safety plans to avoid furr spread of COVID-19.

Samajsebi Sangha in south Kolkata, kwn for its thought-provoking marquee mes every year, has decided to change its open-air pandal's direction towards Sourn Avenue to enable people catch a glimpse of deity from a distance without having to alight from ir vehicles.

"re will be a capy on top to guard 10-foot- high deity, but all three sides of pandal will remain open. Medical personnel would be stationed next to marquee with emergency kit and equipment. Volunteers won't allow people to crowd at pandal entrance.

"This year, things ought to be different... We have curtailed our budget from Rs 60 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. amount saved will be distributed among 75 underprivileged families from Sunderbans," Arijit Moitra, secretary of puja association, said.

At Md Ali Park, ar big-ticket puja, organisers are planning to give pomp and show a miss this year, while "sticking to basics".

"Lights will be fewer, and pandal smaller. height of deity would t exceed eight feet," Ashok Ojha, joint secretary of puja committee, said.

Preparations are also underway at Bhawanipore 75 Pally, ar crowd-puller in South Kolkata, with labourers re made to undergo COVID-19 test before starting work.

"We will have a sanitiser tunnel and proper measures in place to ensure revellers maintain physical distance. road leading to pandal won't have barricades on its two sides," Subir Das, an office-bearer of Bhawanipore 75 Pally committee, said.

Tridhara Sammilani, patronised by Kolkata Municipal Corporation official Debashis Kumar, however, is yet to devise its puja plan. Organisers said y were in two minds about going ahead with this year's festivities.

"We have booked idol, but work to set up pandal has t started yet. We don't appreciate idea that only revellers who travel by cars would get to see idol from a distance. What about ors who walk several kilometres to visit pandals? "A final call will be taken in matter after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's meeting with puja organisers on September 25," Kumar said.

Artisans at Kumartuli, a traditional potters' quarter in rth Kolkata, said business was t usual for m, as most puja committees have slashed ir budgets this time.

Kanchi Paul, one of artisans, said that he received 30 per cent less bookings compared to last year.

"Almost all top puja organisers have placed orders for eight- or 10-foot-tall idols, at least 5 feet less than what has usually been rm for m. This is new rmal. We have to adapt to changing circumstances," he added.

(Photo: PTI)