The West Bengal government has stepped up preparations for next year’s Gangasagar Mela, focusing on improved infrastructure and technology-driven arrangements to manage the large gathering of pilgrims. As part of the proposed measures, authorities are planning to construct additional jetties at Kachuberia and Lot 8 to ensure smoother movement of visitors. Seven to eight jetties will be developed at each of these locations, with the objective of speeding up passenger movement and reducing congestion at the ferry ghats. The infrastructure improvements are expected to make the transportation arrangements more efficient during the religious gathering, when pilgrims travel through these locations.
Alongside the construction plans, the state government is preparing to introduce artificial intelligence-based surveillance to strengthen crowd monitoring and management. AI-enabled cameras will be installed at important locations to identify overcrowded areas and automatically send alerts to the control room. Based on these alerts, authorities will be able to divert pilgrims towards less congested routes and take appropriate measures to prevent overcrowding. The proposed technology is intended to help officials monitor crowd movement more effectively and respond quickly to changing situations. These decisions were taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal with officials of the South 24 Parganas district administration. The discussions focused on improving facilities, strengthening surveillance and ensuring better arrangements for pilgrims attending the upcoming Gangasagar Mela. The planned measures reflect the administration’s focus on infrastructure development and technology-assisted crowd management ahead of the annual event.
