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Principal secy chairs meeting on Kanwar Yatra arrangements; security beefed up in Varanasi
High-level security arrangements are being made for kanwarias and other devotees visiting Varanasi during Shravan. Police will conduct intensive patrolling and CCTV monitoring, and traffic advisories will be issued. More police and PAC teams will be deployed in the city, especially around the Baba Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The security measures are being implemented due to the extended duration of the Shravan month this year.
VARANASI Principal Secretary (home) Sanjai Parad on Saturday said that high-level arrangements should be ensured for kanwarias and other devotees of Lord Shiva who visit Kashi during Shravan. Prasad, along with DGP Vijai Kumar, held a meeting with top officials of Varanasi, Vindhyachal, and Prayagraj divisions in this regard.
Prasad instructed top officials of the districts adjacent to Varanasi to prepare their plan in sync with that of Varanasi. He asked police officers to conduct intensive patrolling on highways in every district. The senior official also instructed DM Sonbhadra to control mining vehicles in his district. Strict security arrangements should be ensured on the Kanwar Yatra route, he said.
Meanwhile, DGP Vijai Kumar instructed cops to keep monitoring the route through CCTV cameras. Keep one NH-2 route -- from Prayagraj to Banaras -- completely closed for kanwarias. He also instructed cops to issue a traffic advisory well in advance so that people can be aware of it.
On the occasion, principal secretary (home) and DGP offered prayers to Baba Kashi Vishwanath at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and took his blessings.
More police, PAC teams to be deployed in Varanasi
Ahead of the beginning of the Shravan month, starting Juy 4, the security has been beefed up further with special security arrangements in and around the Baba Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. According to a senior police official, a large number of PAC jawans, and more than 700 police personnel -- including around 100 sub-inspectors, and 600 constables and head constables -- would be deployed in addition to the security personnel deployed at Baba Kashi Vishwanath Temple security.
This year, shravan will go on for two months as per the Gregorian calendar due to adhik maas (additional month). Besides the first and the last Monday, heavy crowd is likely on July 24, July 31, August 7, and August 14 in view of this additional month. PAC personnel will be deployed on the lanes leading to Baba Kashi Vishwanath Temple while several PAC personnel will keep a watch in various pockets of the city for maintaining the law-and-order situation.
Confirming the report, Dashashwamedh area’s assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Awadhesh Pandey, said, “Police personnel will be deployed at Dashashwamedh and adjoining ghats. Police teams will keep a vigil at Asi Ghat and NaMo Ghat. A plan has also been made for special attention on security and crowd management from Dashashwamedh Ghat to Godaulia intersection and all routes leading to Baba Kashi Vishwanath Temple.” He added that the security of Baba Kashi Vishwanath Temple has already been tightened. Water police will also be on duty at Dashashwamedh Ghat.
No vehicular movement is allowed from Maidagini to Godaulia road from Girijaghar to Godaulia on Shravan Mondays, Pandey said. He added that a detailed route diversion plan has already been made by traffic police that will be effective from July 1. District magistrate S Rajalingam on Friday inspected the Kanwar Yatra route and said that the devotees of Lord Shiva should not face any kind of problem. He instructed the officers concerned to ensure proper cleanliness as well as lighting on the Kanwar Marg.
The DM, along with the police officer, inspected the Kanwar Yatra route -- including Chandpur Chauraha, Manduhadih Chauraha, Bhaskar Pokhara, Rohania, Mohansarai, Akelwa Tiraha, Mehdiganj, Rakhona Underpass, and Parampur Chauraha Road. He directed the police officer to make elaborate arrangements for traffic and security on Kanwar routes. Under any circumstances, vehicles should not be allowed to enter the lane reserved for Kanwarias on the Varanasi-Allahabad road. For this, strict instructions should be given to the police personnel posted on picket and duty, the cop added.
