A pandal stampede on May 26 in Kolkata’s Chorbagan killed 19 people, prompting the West Bengal government to act.
The decision came a day after the tragedy, as officials cited concerns over crowd management and allegations of negligence against puja organisers.
Nine IPS officers, including IG Sumanjit Ray of Border, IG Mehmud Akhtar of IB, and IG Miraj Khalid of Traffic, were assigned crowd‑management duties.
Kolkata Police released an 11‑point advisory that mandates closing pandal entry points during rain, keeping lights on, preventing vehicles from entering, and ensuring officers stay posted.
The advisory also requires police to coordinate with volunteer teams from each puja committee and to maintain ropes, guardrails, and loudspeakers at ready‑to‑deploy positions.
The eight‑day deployment will continue until the festival’s conclusion on June 5, with the officers overseeing crowd flow and enforcing the new safety protocols.