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Magh Mela: Jal police on alert at ghats to ensure safety of pilgrims
With pilgrims and visitors flocking to Sangam during the ongoing Magh Mela-2023, Jal police are keeping an eye on preventing overloading of boats
With pilgrims and visitors flocking to Sangam during the ongoing Magh Mela-2023, Jal police are keeping an eye on preventing overloading of boats.
It is being ensured that the boats are equipped with life jackets and other equipment to deal with any emergency. Besides the Jal police, divers and motorboats are on alert at every ghat in Sangam area to rescue any pilgrim who may venture too far in the Sangam and gets caught in swift water current.
Commissioner of police Prayagraj Ramit Sharma and other senior officials visited the ghats on Sunday and issued necessary instructions for safety of pilgrims. There is a separate control room for Jal police from where ghats will be monitored.
Lakhs of devotees turn up to take holy dip at Sangam every year during the Magh Mela. Police face tough time in controlling the heavy crowd of pilgrims at different bathing ghats. For the last few years, there have been incidents of boat capsizing at Sangam and in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. Overloading of pilgrims in boats has been the major cause of such mishaps.
This year too Jal police are keeping strict vigil at ghats as this Magh Mela is being taken as rehearsal of upcoming Kumbh-2025. As such, the Jal police is taking concrete steps to ensure that no pilgrims cross the water barricading while taking the holy dip.
Jal police in-charge Kadedeen Yadav said divers will be on alert at ghats with motorboats. Any person drowning or being carried away in swift water current will immediately be pulled up on the boat and rescued.
Jal police will ensure that all boatmen are following safety guidelines and are not involved in overloading of passengers on board. It will be checked if they have life jackets on their boats in adequate numbers. Moreover, the condition of their boats will also be checked.
To ensure safety of pilgrims, 4 flood companies of PAC, SDRF teams, 50 motorboats, 100 boats, 30 private and 80 government divers besides water barricading has been installed at ghats.
Prayagraj commissioner of police Ramit Sharma said strict security arrangements are in place at ghats to ensure safety of pilgrims. Instructions have been issued to keep strict vigil at ghats where mishaps have taken place in last few years.
