States » EastPosted at: Oct 8 2026 9:45PM


Cranes to make way for conveyor belts for Durga idol immersion in Kolkata

Kolkata, Oct 8 (UNI) Cranes are set to make way for conveyor belts at key immersion ghats along the Hooghly in Kolkata this Durga Puja, as West Bengal moves towards a more mechanised system for handling idols during immersion and retrieving them from the river.
Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul said on Thursday that the use of conveyor belts during immersion would be an important consideration, with arrangements at major ghats including Babughat, Baje Kadamtala Ghat and Baghbazar being closely monitored.
The shift follows Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s announcement last month that the state would move away from crane-assisted immersion. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has since examined conveyor belts and mechanically operated trolleys as alternatives for moving idols into the river and retrieving them after immersion.
Under the proposed conveyor-belt system, idols can be placed on a moving platform and carried towards the water before being brought back towards the bank, reducing the need for cranes to lift idols after immersion. A trolley-based mechanism has also been examined at Baje Kadamtala Ghat.
A similar mechanised system has been used at Taki in North 24 Parganas, where a trolley facilitates the movement of idols towards the Ichamati riverfront for immersion. The arrangement is intended to reduce manual handling and make the movement of idols to and from the water more orderly and safer.
Officials are assessing the feasibility of installing conveyor systems at other Hooghly ghats, including Babughat and Baghbazar, based on available space and existing infrastructure. Such systems may not be practical at every immersion point.
Paul said the mechanised immersion arrangements should be accompanied by stronger environmental safeguards. She urged puja committees to segregate waste at source, use colour-coded bins, conserve water and adopt energy-efficient lighting.
She also warned organisers against using prohibited thin plastic bags, particularly for distributing bhog, and stressed the need to reduce plastic use and adopt more environmentally sustainable practices.
Paul also called for plantation drives around puja pandals and urged organisers to involve school and college students in environmental initiatives, including distributing saplings that can be easily planted and maintained.
She also asked puja committees to use their pandals as platforms to showcase welfare schemes and development initiatives of both the state and Central governments.
Stalls, cultural programmes and street performances could be used to explain government schemes to visitors, she said, citing PM SVANidhi, which provides loans to street vendors to help expand their businesses.
The move towards conveyor belts comes ahead of Kolkata’s annual immersion cycle, when thousands of idols are taken to designated ghats along the Hooghly.
UNI SEN RN
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see more..