New Delhi, (Samajweekly) Around 1,000 police personnel, over 900 civil defence volunteers, and 15 companies of outside forces have been deployed to ensure safety and security of Kanwariyas, an Delhi Police official said on Tuesday, adding that drone surveillance and separate dedicated lanes for the Kanwariyas have been set up by in east Delhi.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Northeast, Joy Tirkey, the Kanwar Yatra has commenced, with devotees expected to start arriving on Tuesday.
“However, the main influx of participants is anticipated on Wednesday and Thursday. The sacred act of offering holy water will take place on July 15 and 16. To ensure the safety and security of the event, the district has been divided into three zones, and our team will be working in three shifts,” he said.
The DCP said that emergency response vehicles (ERVs), volunteers, PCR vans, and police motorcycles will be present along the designated routes of kanwariyas round the clock, ensuring swift responses to any potential emergencies or incidents.
He said that in the northeast district, there are a total of 47 shivirs, 41 of which are government-owned, while the remaining six are privately owned. “To enhance security measures, we have implemented regulations that mandate a minimum of eight CCTV cameras in each shivir. Additionally, the entire route will be covered by cameras, some of which are newly installed,” the DCP said.
Police have also set up temporary control rooms with the assistance of police communication unit.
“These control rooms have been operational since Tuesday,” said the DCP.
“Beside this, we possess 25 strategically positioned drones to aid in surveillance and monitoring. There will be a substantial presence of security personnel on the ground throughout the yatra. We have also asked for 300 more barricades for a safer corridor,” he added.
“In a meeting with MCD’s Deputy Commissioner, we have asked them to remove the animal waste which is lying on roads after the Eid festival. They have told us that it is being cleaned,” the DCP said.
