Three Kolkata puja committees get fire safety notices after deadly Chorbagan stampede

• Fire safety notices have been issued to Chetla Agrani, Ballygunge Cultural Association and Tridhara Sammilani following inspections of major Kolkata pandals.

• Authorities ordered the removal of unauthorised stalls and hazardous structures, flagging LPG cylinders near inflammable materials and obstructed access routes.

• The inspections followed the Chorbagan pandal stampede, which killed 19 people and prompted tighter scrutiny of safety arrangements.

West Bengal’s Fire and Emergency Services Department has issued notices to three prominent Durga Puja committees in south Kolkata over alleged fire safety shortcomings, following the stampede at the Chorbagan pandal that killed 19 people.

Chetla Agrani, Ballygunge Cultural Association and Tridhara Sammilani received the notices after a high-level fire services team inspected major puja venues, officials said on Monday.

Authorities on Sunday ordered the immediate removal of unauthorised temporary commercial structures and hazardous stalls near pandals. Officials expressed particular concern about LPG cylinders being used close to structures built with highly inflammable materials.

The inspection teams also called for sufficient lighting inside pandals to eliminate dark stretches, improve visibility and support crowd management. They sought better ventilation, including adequate fans and air-conditioning units, to reduce stuffy conditions as visitors gathered.

The checks followed Saturday’s stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata, which left 19 people dead and several others injured. The tragedy prompted the state government to intensify scrutiny of crowd movement and safety measures at major venues.

Responding to the notice, senior Tridhara Sammilani functionary Debashis Kumar said the committee had obtained the department’s no-objection certificate before inaugurating the pandal.

He maintained that highly inflammable materials had not been used and that lighting was adequate at the entrance and along the visitor pathway. The committee had submitted a compliance report explaining its safety and crowd-control arrangements, he said.

Kumar added that visitor movement was being managed in coordination with Kolkata Police, civil defence personnel and the civic authorities.

Ballygunge Cultural Association was instructed to improve interior lighting and ensure that commercial activities did not block entrances or exits, an official said.

A senior committee functionary said lighting had been improved and access routes from Rasbehari Avenue and Triangular Park had been kept clear to allow visitors to move smoothly towards the pandal.

Chetla Agrani representatives could not be reached for comment.

With PTI inputs