In a bid to ensure the safety of 'kanwar' pilgrims passing through Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district, local police will walk alongside the devotees, install CCTV cameras along the route, and deploy drones for aerial surveillance, officials said on Tuesday.
Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva's devotees, known as kanwars, who fetch holy waters of River Ganga during the auspicious Hindu month of Shravan. This holy water is then offered to Lord Shiva.
According to officials here, pilgrims from Shahjahanpur fetch water from Panchal Ghat in Farrukhabad and undertake a 160-km journey to perform 'jalabhishek' at the Shiva temple in Gola Gokarannath. Around 100 km of this route passes through Shahjahanpur, where the district police will be responsible for the security arrangements.
"Approximately 100 km of the pilgrimage route within the district will be covered by CCTV cameras connected to both mobile units and a central control room. Locations for camera installations have already been identified, and drone cameras will also monitor the entire route in real time," Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi told PTI.
"Police camps will be set up outside every police station located along the route. Officers stationed there will escort the Kanwar groups up to the boundary of their jurisdiction and inform the next police station as the pilgrims advance. Additionally, Police Response Vehicles (PRVs) will patrol the route for added safety," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"Police camps will be set up outside every police station located along the route. Officers stationed there will escort the Kanwar groups up to the boundary of their jurisdiction and inform the next police station as the pilgrims advance. Additionally, Police Response Vehicles (PRVs) will patrol the route for added safety," he said.
{{/usCountry}}SP Dwivedi said senior officers will oversee deployments according to a duty roster and will also mark their attendance online to ensure accountability.
When asked whether heightened security was due to any intelligence alerts, Dwivedi said, "There is no specific intelligence input. This is a routine responsibility of the police to ensure Kanwar pilgrims reach their destination safely. A tracking vehicle has also been requested and will be provided shortly."
He further stated that traffic along the route will be strictly regulated.
"This stretch is accident-prone, so all drivers have already been instructed to maintain controlled speeds and follow traffic regulations during the Kanwar Yatra," he added.