57km stretch under CCTV watch for Kanwar Yatra
The entire 57km stretch will be put under CCTV coverage to maintain surveillance. DCP (Ganga Nagar) and nodal officer (Kanwar Yatra) Kuldeep Singh told TOI that one lane of the Prayagraj-Varanasi highway will be reserved for kanwariyas starting July 10.
"We will be holding an inter-departmental coordination meeting and reviewing the arrangements. Apart from a safe route, streetlights and lighting arrangements (no loose wiring), deployment of fire tenders and extinguishers, as well as ambulances, an elaborate security plan has been drafted for the safety of kanwariyas," he said.
The DCP claimed that barricading will be done on routes so that no stray cattle or vehicles could enter the kanwar path. Besides, the entry of heavy and commercial vehicles will be restricted on the route.
Vehicular movement will be restricted from July 10 to August 9 on the Prayagraj-Handia-Varanasi route. Drones will be deployed to maintain surveillance at four prominent Shiva temples: Someshwar Mahadev (Naini), Mankameshwar Temple (Kydganj), Padila Mahadev (Tharwai), and Kundaura Mandir (Saraymamrez).
Fire tenders will be deployed at both temples and Kanwar routes.
Additionally, traffic police authorities will issue an advisory to divert heavy vehicles, especially freight carriers, to different routes. Officials said the route diversion plan will be applied from every Saturday to Tuesday. As the majority of kanwariyas are expected to arrive in the city on Saturday/Sunday to take holy water from the Ganga and start their yatra towards Varanasi to offer jalabhishek to Lord Shiva at Kashi Vishwanath Dham on Monday, officials of the Prayagraj police commissionerate have inspected the route.
Duties of Jal Police and PAC (flood control) will also be assigned at Sangam and other ghats to regulate the flow of kanwariyas.
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