Puri cops conduct anti-terror drills ahead of Rath Yatra
Bhubaneswar: Two weeks ahead of Rath Yatra, which will draw lakhs of pilgrims, Puri police carried out mock drills on Friday at multiple locations to enhance preparedness against potential terrorist threats.
Given the recent Indo-Pak tensions and the govt's invitation to VVIPs, including the President, Prime Minister, Union ministers and chief ministers from NDA-ruled states to Rath Yatra, this year's festival will witness heightened security measures.
"With lakhs of devotees expected to attend this year's Rath Yatra, ensuring foolproof security is our top priority. The simulation exercises help us identify gaps in our response mechanism and improve coordination among different security agencies," Vinit Agrawal, SP of Puri, said.
The counter-terrorism mock drills were conducted at the Puri railway station and near the Jagannath Temple to evaluate how effectively rescue agencies can respond during emergencies.
Police officers said the aim is to achieve smooth coordination between various response agencies to eliminate any possibility of uncertainty and chaos during actual emergencies.
"Police, fire service, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, National Disaster Response Force, healthcare professionals, and anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of the special tactical group took part in the mock drills," Agrawal said.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Forget Furosemide, Use This Household Item To Help Drain Edema Fluid
WellnessGuide
Learn more
Undo
The simulation exercises were conducted three days after Odisha police deployed a dedicated anti-terrorist squad near the shrine for smooth conduct of Rath Yatra. The ATS consists of urban warfare-trained commandos from Odisha police's special tactical group.
Police recently positioned Rakshak, an armoured vehicle with bullet-proof capabilities, outside the Jagannath Temple. The vehicle is designed to resist intense artillery fire and explosive devices.
Follow more information on
Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here
. Get
real-time live updates
on rescue operations and check
full list of passengers onboard AI 171
.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
40 minutes ago
- News18
‘Cops Fled To Save…': Puri Stampede Victims Share Ordeal, Question Crowd Control Measures
Last Updated: Survivors and eyewitnesses of the tragic incident alleged that the police personnel ran to save their own lives instead of rescuing the fallen victims during the stampede. Jagannath Rath Yatra Stampede: At least three people, including two women, died and nearly 50 others were injured in a stampede near Gundicha Temple in Odisha's Puri during the annual Rath Yatra on Sunday. The stampede broke out around 4 am on Sunday as thousands of devotees gathered to have darshan of the deity when the chariots of sibling deities– Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra– reached Gundicha Temple. As a result, several devotees fell over each other near the wheels of the chariot. The deceased have been identified as 36-year-old Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, 42-year-old Pravati Das from Balipatna, and 80-year-old Premakant Mohanty, also from Balipatna. Victims Accuse Cops Of Fleeing Survivors and eyewitnesses of the tragic incident alleged that the police personnel ran to save their own lives instead of rescuing the fallen victims during the stampede. A man who lost his wife in the incident said that not a single authority responded to the escalating situation in Puri. 'I watched in horror as police officers fled to protect themselves. My wife was unconscious, and I had to carry her to the hospital with help from other devotees. Police authorities who should have protected us were nowhere to be found," Dilip Sahu, husband of deceased Prabhati Sahu told Times of India. Another victim said, 'When this incident happened, no one responded, neither the fire officials, nor the rescue team, nor the hospital team. This is a pathetic incident that cannot be expressed in words." 'There were hardly any police personnel visible despite the massive crowd. It was a Sunday, and the flow of devotees was growing. When people started falling and screaming, there was no organised response," another victim shared ordeal, the news outlet reported. Parikhita Mishra, an eyewitness from Dhenkanal who narrowly escaped, blamed the administration for allowing two trucks carrying additional wooden ladders for the chariots. As per the reports, the stampede reportedly began when two trucks carrying sacred ritual materials entered the already-crowded Saradhabali area near the temple. Devotees had been waiting since the early hours to witness the sacred 'Pahuda' ritual, during which the cloth covering the deities' faces is removed. The unexpected entry of the trucks caused panic, pushing the crowd into disarray. Several people were trampled or suffocated in the chaos. Santosh Das, a local and frequent temple visitor, criticised the consistent failures in crowd control. He observed that despite predictably large festival crowds each year, police never seem to improve their management, noting that only a handful of officers were present for thousands of devotees, making it impossible to keep order. Swadhin Kumar Panda, a local resident, alleged poor crowd management and claimed that VIP routes were prioritised while the general public was diverted without proper planning. 'The traffic system was also not good, as many vehicles with unauthorised passes came near the temple. The administration did not control the crowd properly. The biggest problem was the exit gate," he said. Odisha CM Tenders Apology, Orders Probe Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi on Sunday sought forgiveness from devotees of Lord Jagannath after three devotees were killed and tendered an apology on behalf of his government for the incident and pledged strict action against those responsible for the lapses in crowd control and security arrangements. Calling the incident 'unpardonable," Majhi assured that an immediate investigation would be initiated to identify the security failures. Majhi also chaired a meeting with his deputies to asses the situation and ordered a full-fledged administrative inquiry to determine the cause and accountability of the incident. The Chief Minister has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh each to the next of kin of the devotees who lost their lives in the tragic incident. Expressing sorrow, Manjhi assured that the state government stands firmly with the bereaved families during this difficult time. The investigation will be led by the Chairman of the Development Commissioner. In response to the incident, Majhi ordered the transfer of both the Puri District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and SP Vineet Agrawal. Two police officers – DCP Bishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi – were suspended for negligence. Khurda Collector Chanchal Rana was appointed the new Collector of Puri, while Pinak Mishra took over as SP. An administrative inquiry has also been launched under the supervision of the Development Commissioner. About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from More Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Puri, India, India First Published:
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Every house in Indore to have digital address; pilot project launched
The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) in Madhya Pradesh has launched a digital house address project , with officials claiming it to be the first such initiative in the country. The project involves the installation of special digital plates with unique QR codes outside every house in the city, the officials said on Sunday. It was launched on Sunday on a pilot basis from ward number 82 in Sudama Nagar area. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like War Thunder - Register now for free and play against over 75 Million real Players War Thunder Play Now Undo The project aims to empower 'smart' administration by connecting citizen services with digital technology, an official said. "We have linked our digital address project with the Digipin (Digital Postal Index Number) system of the central government. Indore is the first city in the country to do so," Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said. Live Events He said special digital plates with a unique QR code will be installed outside every house in the city. "By scanning this QR code with a mobile phone, the GPS-based digital address of the house can be known. Local taxes like property tax and water tax can be paid and complaints regarding civic amenities can also be lodged," the mayor said. Necessary changes will be made in the digital address project based on the people's suggestions, he added.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
BJP ‘first party' to push for caste census: Union Minister
Bengaluru:Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav claimed on Saturday that the BJP was the 'first party' since Independence to push for a caste census. He said that under the 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (Together with all, development for all) policy, the BJP aims to bring change to all sections of society based on scientific data. He said that over the past 11 years, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, numerous developmental and welfare schemes had been implemented for the benefit of the poor and marginalised. He noted that it was PM Modi who gave constitutional status to the OBC Commission. Yadav emphasised that the Registrar General of India was empowered to conduct caste censuses and said that for the first time since Independence, such an exercise was being carried out to responsibly collect data on social, economic, caste-based, and educational indicators. He recalled that after the end of the Emergency, a non-Congress government, the Janata Party, came to power at the Centre and constituted the Mandal Commission. Yadav asserted that the BJP was the first party since Independence to push for a caste census. He mentioned that the Congress mouthpiece 'National Herald' had even published an article advocating for one-party rule in India. Following this, BK Nehru had written a letter, and a committee was reportedly formed within the Congress on this matter. Yadav alleged that Congress had long been engaged in a systematic effort to equate the party with the family, and the family with the nation. This ideology, he said, led to the declaration of Emergency. He concluded by saying that the Emergency was remembered as a dark chapter in Indian democracy, one that ignited a people's struggle driven by national self-respect and democratic values.
