10,000 personnel to manage Kanwar yatra security: DGP
DEHRADUN: Expecting a pilgrim rush of around 40 million for the upcoming Kanwar yatra in Haridwar, Uttarakhand police chief Ashok Kumar on Monday said around 10,000 security personnel, including home guards, will be deployed for maintenance of law and order and management of traffic movement.
DJ sets creating noise pollution during the yatra will not be allowed, Kumar said.
He made the comment after chairing an inter-state coordination meeting with senior police officers of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi and other security and intelligence agencies for effective management of influx of devotees.
CCTVs and drone cameras will also be used for effective surveillance, he said. As the annual pilgrimage of Kanwar yatra hits the headlines for wrong reasons, the state police chief gave a clear message to miscreants and unruly elements.
“If you are coming for pilgrimage and to seek God’s blessings, we will welcome you, but if you indulge in hooliganism, misbehaviour, nuisance, public drinking and violence, strictest action will be taken. We will remain on toes and take every action possible to maintain the dignity of the pilgrimage site,” he said, while talking to reporters after the meeting.
He said most pilgrims were pious people who come on a spiritual journey, only a few indulge in “hooliganism”.
The month of Sawan or Shravan also marks the beginning of the Kanwar yatra.
This year, it will be held from July 14 to July 26 with Kanwariyas (devotees of Shiva) travelling by foot or via other means to fetch water from Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand to offer at Shiva temples and shrines in their respective regions.
A whopping 36 million pilgrims had arrived in 2019 to Uttarakhand, the pilgrimage was cancelled owing to Covid outbreak in 2020 and 2021.