Kolkata: The city on Wednesday saw a partly cloudy sky with scattered rain in different pockets at different times, and this could be what is in store in the next two days as well. While light and scattered rain is expected on Panchami and Shashthi, the Met office said chances of rain will decrease thereafter. The rest of the puja days are expected to remain dry.Alipore Met officials said the intensity, duration and pattern of the rain will in no way be able to wash out the festivity. Additionally, puja organisers have taken measures in case the rain becomes a challenge.The current rain is triggered by a trough line and an easterly wave. “There is no indication of any big weather system in the Bay of Bengal in the next 10 days that could threaten Durga Puja celebrations. There is no possibility of heavy rain. Whatever rain we expect in the next two days is likely to be similar to what we had on Wednesday,” said H R Biswas, head of weather forecast section at RMC, Kolkata.At Mohammad Ali Park, where the pandal was inaugurated on Wednesday, organisers took precautionary measures. “Our priority is to ensure the ground is safe for visitors and to protect the idol, installations and electrical control systems. We have procured enough tarpaulin sheets to cover the pandal and other areas in case of heavy rain. Our decorator has also set up raised platforms for visitors,” said Surender Sharma, secretary of Youth Association, which organises the puja at the venue.Suvendu Samanta, secretary of Chetla Agrani, said, “We have a wooden platform all over the area, three feet above ground. This ensures there is little risk of waterlogging or visitors having to walk through muddy ground.”Anik Acharya, secretary of Bhagabati Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja, said, “We have built a covered shelter outside the pandal where visitors can take shelter in case of rain. We also made changes to some of the materials planned for the outdoor installations. Elements that were originally intended to be made of cloth were constructed using plywood, ensuring that the rain did not damage any part of the pandal.”
