Tag: Gangasagar

mamata banerjee sagar island

Gangasagar Mela to go green in 2016

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Gangasagar Mela to go green in 2016

Ganga Sagar Mela next year would be declared Green Mela where sanitary toilets would be provided for all pilgrims, South 24 Paraganas district magistrate P B Salim said.

10,000 sanitary toilets would be set up for the mela, which attracts lakhs of pilgrims from across the country.

He said the pilgrims would be made aware of the demerits of open defecation at various stages of their journey right from the city to Sagar Island, where they take the holy dip on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

Referring to the situation in the district vis-a-vis sanitation, he said the model set by Nadia, declared a total sanitation district, would be followed though South 24 Parganas had a much larger population.

“Next year on Gandhi Jayanti we plan to declare South 24 Parganas a total sanitation district. For this we are involving people from all sections – students, Anganwadi and Asha workers, SHGs, NGOs besides religious heads,” he said adding at present there are no sanitary toilets in at least seven lakh households in the district.

The government will provide Rs 10,000 for each toilet built and the beneficiary would pay Rs 900 or provide labour. In West Bengal 40 per cent of the people have no sanitary toilets at their homes compared to 58 per cent in the country.

100 new motels to give tourism in Bengal a boost

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on 100 new motels to give tourism in Bengal a boost

The West Bengal Tourism Department has decided to associate with the Public Works and Forest departments in order to modernize and expand infrastructural facilities and give a boost to tourism in the State.

While the PWD will construct more than 100 ‘Pather Sathis’ (attractive motels) alongside almost all the national and state highways across the state at a cost of more than Rs 20 crore, all forest ‘rest houses’ will be upgraded with essential gadgets like air-conditioners, LED television sets, geysers and refrigerators.

Motels facilitating pleasant connectivity to tourist spots would be handed over to the Tourism department by the PWD on completion for maintenance and formation of joint ventures wherever possible for quick recovery of costs.

Revenues earned by the Forest department would be shared by all stakeholders, including private partners, who would promote sales and guarantee upkeep of the facilities for weekend travelers.

Yet another novel method of attracting travelers– both domestic and foreign, would be the arrangement of short ‘home-stays’ deep inside forests with picturesque surroundings.

Promoted through enterprising ‘Forest Protection Committee’ members, these cosy nooks mostly in North Bengal, Dooars and Darjeeling (in places like Tagda, Chimney and Pokriata) would give private entrepreneurs, especially tea garden owners, a run for their money.

However, the most frequented facilities like Mirik, Jaldapara, Gorumara, Holong, Digha and Gangasagar will not be given lesser importance.

management

Effective management of Gangasagar Mela: Bengal sets an example for mass congregations

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Effective management of Gangasagar Mela: Bengal sets an example for mass congregations

More than 10 lakh people have visited Gangasagar this time since the annual congregation commenced on 12 January, the South 24-Parganas district administration reported.

Elaborate security arrangement

The State administration had made elaborate security arrangements for the mela. More than 30 CCTV cameras were installed and a similar number of watchtowers erected in and around the Kapil Muni temple on the island’s bank.

Deployment of 6,500 policemen was made along with coast guards, BSF and Navy personnel to ensure adequate security of the area. Security forces in the sea were equipped with hovercraft and small aircraft.

West Bengal Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee along with Power Minister Manish Gupta, Sunderban Affairs minister Manturam Pakhira and Minister of State for Minority Affairs Giasuddin Mollah and the Zilla Sabhadipati, District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police and other top officials of South 24 Parganas, were present to monitor the situation.

Record turnout

Most of the pilgrims hailed from states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jhargkhand, Chhatisgarh and Odisha; there were also a good number of them from Assam and Tripura, besides the home state Bengal.

For the pilgrims there were temporary sheds at Sagar Mela ground where they could take rest. Arrangement of temporary toilets and cooking was made without compromising on the cleanliness of the mela ground. There was adequate arrangement for electricity.

 

Photo credit: Debojyoti Chakraborty

Alternative livelihood mission for villagers in Sagar Islands

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Alternative livelihood mission for villagers in Sagar Islands

State Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Mr Subrata Mukherjee has inaugurated a project of alternative livelihood for the people of most backward villages of Sagar Island.

Mr Mukherjee said a large number of people used to depend on hunting turtles, not only endangering those species but also risked their owned lives in doing so. People died of attacks by crocodiles and small sharks, he said.

Local people will be engaged in prawn and other fishes’ egg breeding units in several villages as alternative livelihood, he said.

Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS) has taken up initiative for providing all arrangements to set up the infrastructure for prawn and other fishes’ egg breeding units. Villagers from Mahendraganj, Nagendraganj, Khasramkar, Uttarharadhanpur, Kayalpara, Dhaspara, Krishnanagar and Chalkfuldubi, will join this project.

Swami Biswatmananda, general secretary of the BSS said that a 5000 square feet place has been identified for setting up a skill development centre for local people.

He said around 2700 people will be trained in fish breeding, in agriculture farming, making organic manure and handicrafts items.

Mr Mukherjee said that the state government will provide all kind of help to BSS if these projects are implemented in other villages.

mamata banerjee sagar island

Gangasagar Mela – WB Govt takes measures for benefit of pilgrims

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Gangasagar Mela – WB Govt takes measures for benefit of pilgrims

The Gangasagar Mela, held on Sagar Island, is the biggest religious fair in West Bengal. Ms Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, to promote tourism, had undertaken a boat ride to Sagar Island with top industrialists last October.

The Government has laid emphasis on electrification, drainage, sewerage, water purification, sewerage treatment, night shelters, roads (construction of a ring road) and general beautification. For this purpose, the Gangasagar Development Authority has been set up.

Government has also made several arrangements for the annual Gangasagar Mela:

  • Various arrangements of temporary nature for adequate accommodation, offices, water supply, sanitation
  • Temporary hospitals along with outdoor dispensary at Sagar island along with emergency helicopter services
  • Safe and adequate drinking water services are being provided
  • Temporary sanitary (mobile toilets) and waste water disposal arrangements
  • Arrangements for fire-fighting, including setting up facilities at Kolkata’s Outram Ghat, Kachuberia, Chemaguri/Benuban and Sagar Mela ground
  • Arrangements for bathing ghats (including changing rooms) at Sagar Island
  • Arrangement of temporary banking facility at Sagar Mela ground
  • Police outposts at Sagar Mela ground
  • Solid waste collection by automatic disposal vehicle
  • As a special initiative, the Chief Minister has waived pilgrims’ tax

 

West Bengal Tourism is also promoting Gangasagar and its surrounding islands in a big way. For details log on to  the website.