CUTTACK: Ending days of confusion over the dates of Durga Puja this year, puja committees in Cuttack have decided that Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami) will be observed on October 21 (Wednesday) and Bhasani Utsav (immersion ceremony) a day later.
The decision has been based on the timings of ‘Tithi’ in the almanacs. “Since Dashami Tithi begins from 12.50 pm on October 20 and continues till 2.11 pm on October 21, it will not be possible to take out immersion procession after completing Dashami rituals of Goddess Durga. Hence, it has been decided to observe Dussehra on October 21 and immersion ceremony on October 22,” said Cuttack Mahanagar Shanti Committee president Debendranath Sahu.
Meanwhile, the Commissionerate Police has made elaborate security arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of Durga Puja festival in the city. “Apart from 500 police officers, as many as 60 platoons, 2,100 Armed Police Reserve (APR) and Odisha Auxiliary Police Force (OAPF) personnel, 700 home guards and two companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed to maintain law and order during the festival,” said DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo.
As many as 57 temporary police aid posts have also been set at strategic location in and around the city. Besides, plainclothes police personnel have also been deployed to keep a tab on troublemakers, prevent crimes and ensure smooth crowd management, he added.
The entire immersion route will be kept under surveillance of more than 1,300 CCTV cameras including Face Recognition and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.
Apart from the CCTV surveillance, four dedicated drone teams will be deployed on the immersion route, informed the DCP.
Similarly, as many as 15 temporary fire station will be set up in and around the city to meet any emergency. “We are also going to open one Central Control Room at Cuttack Fire Station for proper monitoring of fire protection arrangements during Durga Puja festival,” said deputy fire officer, Cuttack Circle, Abani Kumar Swain.
Assistant fire officer Prasant Kumar Dhal informed that a two-day awareness programme was conducted for members of 215 puja committeesin the city. They were imparted training relating to the fire safety in temporary structures, he said.
