Over 30 lakh pilgrims take dip at Gangasagar

Senior West Bengal minister Aroop Biswas said a total of 85 lakh pilgrims have taken the holy dip since January 1.

Meanwhile, five pilgrims from different states have so far died of old age-related ailments, an official release said. “Altogether, five pilgrims died at Gangasagar as of now. Seven ill devotees were airlifted to Kolkata for treatment,” it said.

Of the deceased, three were from Uttar Pradesh, one from Haryana and another from Chhattisgarh, a South 24 Parganas district official said, adding, they died of cardiac arrest.

The West Bengal government has made elaborate logistics and security arrangements on Sagar Island, located around 100 km from Kolkata, for the annual ritual, heralding the onset of the harvest festival, he said.

Around 13,000 policemen and 2,500 civil defence personnel, apart from disaster management teams and the Indian Coast Guard, are monitoring the activities at the ‘Gangasagar Mela’, the official said.

The festival this year coincides with the Maha Kumbh Mela, which is being held in Uttar Pradesh after 12 years.