Every year, around 4 to 5 lakh pilgrims participate in the Gangasagar Mela. Devotees from across India make a beeline for the small patch of green, a stone’s throw from Babughat Ghat, adjacent to Fort William.

For over 46 years now, this is the site of their transit camps before they head to the Sagar Islands in South 24 Parganas. On an average, 15,000 to 20,000 pilgrims spend their nights in these camps.

For the last couple of years, however, the Army had refused to grant permission for setting up camps, citing environmental pollution and water contamination. Though the Defence Ministry had made it clear that 2007 was the last time transit camps were allowed at the Maidan, the state government is yet to come up with an alternate location for the pilgrims.

“We have been telling the state government not to allow rallies, political gatherings and fairs at the Maidan. For these pilgrims also, we have asked the state to provide an alternative site. But nothing has been done yet,” said Group Captain R K Das, official spokesperson for Defence Ministry in Kolkata.

“This year, the ministry has allowed the pilgrims to build temporary structures at the Maidan. Now, it is the duty if the Public Works department to clean up the place through its NGOs,” he added.

“There will be joint inspections and once the event gets over, we along with other officials will clean up the place before handing it over to the Army,” said P K Munshi, Additional Officer-in-Charge of the Maidan police station.