Security arrangements during Kanwar Yatra

The Gurugram police on Thursday made extensive security arrangements to ensure a smooth passage for devotees, who will take part in the Kanwar Yatra--one of the largest pilgrimages in north India which is being held after a gap of two years

The Gurugram police on Thursday made extensive security arrangements to ensure a smooth passage for devotees, who will take part in the Kanwar Yatra--one of the largest pilgrimages in north India which is being held after a gap of two years.

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As part of the Yatra, pilgrims started their journey from Uttrakhand on Thursday and will reach Gurugram in four days, said police.

The pilgrims will be stationed in at least 50 camps along the service roads across the city. Authorities are expecting 400,000 pilgrims to cross Gurugram during the yatra. The peak footfall in Gurugram is expected between July 23 and July 26, said police.

Commissioner of police Kala Ramachandran on Wednesday convened a meeting with police teams and traffic police to brief them about the preparations for the easy passage for the Kanwariyas and commuters. “I reviewed the preparations with the deputy commissioners of police. A detailed programme has been issued to ensure the pilgrims have smooth passage and the routine traffic is not disrupted,” she said.

Police said groups of Kanwariyas carrying water from Ganga river are expected to pass through Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and other routes on their way from Haridwar in Uttarakhand to local shrines in the district and Rajasthan.

“We have deployed over 3,000 police personnel to ensure smooth passage of pilgrims across the city, particularly the expressway. Heavy police deployment is also being planned at their resting stations. We will monitor the yatra round the clock through CCTV cameras installed on the expressway and other parts of the city,” said Rama Chandran.

Police said a dedicated pedestrian path will be made for the Kanwar pilgrims on all the main roads so that commuters do not face any inconvenience. A dedicated lane will also be reserved on the KMP expressway for the safe movement of Kanwariyas, said police.

Ravinder Kumar Tomar,

Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Ravinder Singh Tomar said they have formed teams and decided o deploy around 1,100 personnel to manage traffic situation on the ground. “We have written to the NHAI, Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation and PWD on Thursday to place new jersey barriers on the road to create a safe passage for Kanwariyas,” he said.

Authorities have identified areas, such as Sohna, Badshahpur, Shikohpur, Sehrawan, Bhondsi, Pataudi and Bilaspur, as sensitive spots.

Police said they have directed organisers to set up camps at a distance of at least 100ft from the main road on highways and 50ft from the carriageway on internal roads. Organisers have also been directed to use and operate loudspeakers at low volume so as to cause minimum disturbance to residents nearby and that too only after obtaining requisite permission from the district administration.

Ramachandran said ambulances, cranes and fire tenders will be stationed at critical points to enable quick response in case of any emergency. “We have deployed 75 emergency response vehicles), activated 31 police control rooms and 124 police riders for 24x7 patrolling to minimize traffic disruptions and ensure safety of the pilgrims,” she said.