Kolkata, July 10 (Reporter) West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee greeted the devotees at the start of the month-long Shravani Mela today. Millions of pilgrims are expected to visit the revered Lord Shiva temple at Tarakeswar in the Hooghly district. The state and district administrations have undertaken extensive measures to organise the Shravani Mela in a systematic and peaceful manner as devotees from across the state visit the historic Shiva temple. In a high-level administrative meeting, the CM instructed officials to oversee the arrangements and issued specific directives to the district administration to ensure that the event is conducted in an orderly fashion as millions of devotees are expected to seek blessings from Baba Taraknath. The administration has kept a vigil at the 30-kilometre stretch from Baidyabati to Tarkeswar to assess safety measures and civic amenities for the devotees. State minister Becharam Manna said that in order to manage the flow of the devotees walking from Seoraphuli Riverbank ghats to Tarkeswar Shiva Temple, CCTVs have been installed for keeping surveillance along the route and assistance camps, police personnel, and medical teams have been stationed throughout the stretch. The civic bodies and panchayats will oversee lighting arrangements, drinking water supply, bio-toilets, and cleanliness. Under the Mission 'Nirmal Prokolpo', a strong emphasis will be placed on hygiene and the use of plastic plates and cups will be strictly prohibited. At Baidyabati river Ghats, the irrigation department has installed safety nets to prevent mishaps due to strong currents. The PWD has repaired damaged sections of the ghats and the road from Baidyabati to Tarkeswar and the Electricity Department has been instructed to ensure that all electric poles are safe to avoid short circuits and electrocution. Special precautions will be in place at Baidyabati and Kamarkundu railway level crossings, with police and GRP personnel deployed to prevent accidents. The Eastern Railway has been requested to increase the frequency of local trains. Meanwhile, state transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty has arranged for additional state-run buses to Tarkeswar from various locations. To ensure safety, the police have set up barricades at 22 key junctions and around the temple. A total of 187 CCTV cameras will monitor crowd movement, and drones will provide aerial surveillance of the temple complex. Bike ambulances, regular ambulances, and special medical teams will remain on standby to respond to any emergencies. With all the preparations and safety measures in place the month-long Sharavan mela is set to begin today...////...