Prayagraj: Five drones, a network of CCTVs, barricading on Ganga ghats and travel route, one-way reserved for kanwariyas’s free flow and Quick Response Teams (QRTs), health checking teams are few security features that Prayagraj police commissionerate authorities have drafted to deploy on the kanwar route in order to maintain a strict surveillance between Prayagraj and Varanasi.With month of Shrawan beginining from July 30, the traffic police authorities would restrict the movement of traffic on one lane of shastri bridge for the kanwariyas on or before July 30.Claiming that thousands of kanwariyas visit Kashi Vishwanath to offer jalabhishek at Varanasi after taking holy Ganga water from Dashaswamedh ghat (Daraganj), Sangam and other ghats on July 30 onwards, cops on Friday chalked out strategy to ensure foolproof security measures for kanwariyas.Cops of neighbouring Kaushambi, Pratapgarh and Fatehpur have too inspected the kawar route and coordinating with their Prayagraj counterparts.Pointedly, the Prayagraj-Varanasi route will be kept one-way to offer adequate space for devotees for their free flow movements towards Varanasi from city.Around 800 cops will be assigned duties at static locations including ghats. A separate traffic plan including diversion plan will also be implemented.DCP (Ganga Nagar) and Nodal Officer (Kanwar Yatra) Kuldeep Singh told TOI, “Cops will use drones and CCTVs network for the safety and security of kanwariyas, who would be embarking on a journey from Sangam and Daraganj Ghat to Varanasi to offer jalabahishek to Lord Shiva in Kashi and other prominent Lord Shiva temples during month of Shrawan.”Apart from roping in four to five drones and additional force, police will also set up barricades and keep ambulances on standby to help kanwariyas. The department has also drafted an elaborate traffic plan for devotees which will be effective from July 30 onwards, when the kanwar yatra starts.He added, “The traffic police will designate lanes for the movement of kanwariyas and drones will also be used to monitor the yatra.” Besides, QRTs (Quick Response Teams) would be deployed at the static points and city.Cops would be coordinating with Bhadohi and Varanasi counterparts to ensure safety and security of kanwariyas.The kanwariyas are expected to pass through Daraganj, Jhunsi before arriving at the Prayagraj- Varanasi highway.Cops will be deployed at 22 strategic points including ghats, Shastri bridge, Andhawa turn and Sarayinayat, through which a large number of these kanwariyas are expected to pass.The devotees of Shiva will assemble at Sangam and Daraganj ghat to take water from the Sangam and cover hundreds of km distance to different temples of Lord Shiva including the Padila Mahadeo temple in Tharwai (Trans-Ganga) , Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and Baijnath Dham in Jharkhand.
