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Spl officers deployed for Kanwar Yatra, ’copters for aerial vigil
Police officials said Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had issued directions to ensure safety and security of all pilgrims on Kanwar Yatra during this auspicious Sawan month and all possible facilities had been provided for them.
LUCKNOW The state police had deployed special officers on Kanwar Yatra routes and helicopters for aerial vigilance, said police officials here on Sunday. The police officials said chief minister Yogi Adityanath had issued directions to ensure safety and security of all pilgrims during this auspicious Sawan month and all possible facilities had been provided for them.
The devotees undertake an arduous trek, mostly on foot, to collect water from the Ganga and offer it in Shiva temples in their localities or those situated in historical places during Saawan month which started from Thursday and will end on August 11. The main occasion of Jalabhishek (offering Gangajal to Shiv Linga) would be on ‘Shivratri’ on July 26. On the CM’s directives, the administrations and police officials of districts have made arrangements for a safe and secure trek for the devotees on the route of the Yatra.
In a press note issued by the state police headquarters, the police officials said Kanwars were moving carrying tricolour flag as ‘Kanwar Tiranga Yatra’ in view of 75 years of celebration scheduled under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava’ and special arrangements had been made for this.
The officials said as many as 162 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Central Para-Military Forces as well as civil police personnel would be deployed at different Kanwar Yatra routes, Shiv temples, rivers and ghats as well as Saawan Melas and camps organised for people taking up this annual pilgrimage across the state.
UP police additional director general (ADG), law and order, Prashant Kumar said as many as 151 companies of PAC and 11 companies of CPMF would be deployed for safe and secure trek for devotees on 840 Kanwar routes of nearly 12,535 kilometres, around 4556 Shivalayas (Shiv temples) where devotees offer water to Shiv Linga, 322 rivers and ghats from where devotees would collect water and 314 places where Saawan Melas would be organised across the state.
The ADG said 1670 meetings had been conducted with authorities of different Kanwariya organisations to make arrangements for nearly a month-long religious trek. He said 1523 rest and food camps for Kanwars would be organised. Meetings were also held with managements of different temples to make security arrangements and manage crowd movement. He said these organisations set up roadside camps which offered food, water, bedding and washrooms to devotees.
He said as many as 927 sensitive and trouble prone spots had been identified related to Kanwar Yatras and necessary deployment had been done at these places. He said the entire Kanwar routes and temples had been divided into 1917 sectors and 1195 quick response teams had been deployed in these sectors.
