Varanasi: Ahead of the Shrawan month and under the Reducing Traffic Congestion Scheme, police commissioner Mohit Agrawal and district magistrate Satyendra Kumar on Thursday conducted a foot inspection of key routes from Godowlia to Dashashwamedh Ghat to review security, traffic and crowd-management arrangements.Officials said the city has been divided into five zones and 15 sectors in view of the expected influx of lakhs of devotees. Around 5,000 police personnel, including five IPS officers and 50 gazetted officers, will be deployed across Varanasi during the month.Special arrangements will be made on Shrawan Mondays and Shivratri, particularly around Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and other major routes, to ensure smooth darshan and orderly movement of devotees. Barricading and lost-and-found centres will be set up at key locations, while plainclothes personnel will be deployed in crowded and sensitive areas.Police said nearly 70% of the city is already under CCTV surveillance. Additional monitoring through CCTV cameras and the Trinetra system will be carried out on major routes and at sensitive locations. Control rooms will function near the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the railway station for real-time monitoring.Extensive safety measures have also been planned at major Ganga ghats. Flood relief police, water police, PAC personnel and trained divers will be deployed, while deep-water barricading will be installed to prevent devotees from entering unsafe areas.For the convenience of Kanwariyas, one lane from Prayagraj to Mohansarai will remain reserved. Temporary police booths, rest points and medical aid facilities will be established along the route, with PRV and Phantom teams stationed every four kilometres for emergency response.Officials said DJs during Shravan and the Kanwar Yatra will be permitted only within prescribed sound limits, and their height and structure must not pose safety or security risks.During the inspection, Agrawal directed officers to remain present in their assigned areas, conduct regular checks and ensure effective crowd management, public convenience, devotee safety and smooth traffic flow.
