Tight security arrangements in place for Kanwar Yatra
Meerut: Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place across the Meerut Range of Uttar Pradesh—including the districts of Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat and Hapur—for the upcoming Kanwar Yatra, to ensure a peaceful and safe pilgrimage during the holy month of Shravan, officials said here on Monday.
A total of 119 security barriers will be installed along the 540-kilometre-long Kanwar route in the region. This includes 25 each in Meerut and Bulandshahr, 51 in Baghpat and 18 in Hapur. The route has been divided into 57 zones and 155 sectors for better monitoring and management, they said.
To aid 'kanwariyas' (pilgrims), 184 rest points and 838 temporary camps are being set up—464 in Meerut, 176 in Bulandshahr, 90 in Baghpat and 108 in Hapur, they added.
Special vigilance will be maintained in 184 mixed-population areas that fall along the pilgrimage route.
Given the expected footfall at major temples such as Pura Mahadev (Baghpat), Augharnath temple (Meerut), Brijghat (Hapur), Ambakeshwar Mahadev (Bulandshahr) and Sabli temple (Hapur), dedicated arrangements have been made to manage crowd flow and ensure safety, officials said. Authorities have also planned alternate routes for heavy and light vehicles to regulate traffic during the yatra period.
With contingencies in mind, disaster response teams from the SDRF and NDRF, along with local divers, have been kept on alert. Control rooms at the range and district levels have been set up for real-time monitoring using CCTV cameras and drones.
Meerut Range DIG Kalanidhi Naithani said that a social media monitoring cell has been activated to track and respond swiftly to any misleading or inflammatory posts. He also directed the deployment of women police personnel for the safety of female pilgrims and instructed the establishment of Lost and Found centres at key locations.
The Kanwar Yatra is set to begin on July 11, marking the start of the Shravan month.
During the yatra, devotees collect holy water from the Ganga at sites such as Haridwar, Gaumukh, Gangotri and Sultanganj, and offer it at local Shiva temples through the ritual of 'Jalabhishek'—a tradition rooted in Hindu mythology, including references to the 'Samudra Manthan'.
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