Kendrapara: The two-day-long Gaja Laxmi immersion started at the coastal Kendrapara Township Wednesday morning with much fanfare.
All the ‘medhas’ left the puja mandaps on schedule for the immersion ground at Old Bus Stand.
“This year as many as 46 medhas of the township area are coming to immersion ground,” Kendrapara SP, Niti Sekhar said adding that the immersion started from 9 am Wednesday and will complete Friday.
Puja organisers have been directed to bring their respective medhas to ‘melan’ ground before Wednesday morning. ‘Bhoga’ will be offered to all the medhas Thursday morning.
The district administration has also dug two temporary ponds in the township area for immersing the idols to restrict water pollution.
Keeping in mind the traffic, the administration has provided alternate route for the idol immersion procession.
Meanwhile, the district administration has made it clear to the puja organisers that high decibel loud speakers having more than 65-decibel sound output, DG sound would be monitored strictly. The Pollution Control Board officials from Paradip have been deployed along with the sound decibel metres to measure the sound.
Police have asked the organisers to help make this year’s Laxmi Puja immersion entirely accident-free.
Police department has tightened security in order to ensure smooth immersion. At least 20 platoons of police have been deployed to maintain law and order. The SP himself has been monitoring the situation whereas two ASPs, six DSPs, 14 Inspectors and more than a 100 SI/ASIs and other police forces were deployed for traffic control.
Executive magistrates have been deployed at different sensitive points to avert any lawlessness during the immersion. The district police have also opened 5 temporary police outposts while more than dozen armed pickets have been opened at the sensitive points.
A special police squad has been formed to nab eve teasers and anti socials. “Policemen in plain clothes have also been deployed at different sites and crowded places to keep a check on any untoward incident in the area,” said Rajib Lochan Panda, the SDPO of Kendrapara.
The IG of Police (Central Division), Soumendra Priyadarshi, is expected to monitor the law and order situation.
PNN