Varanasi: With the holy month of Shrawan beginning on Thursday and continuing till Aug 28, lakhs of devotees and kanwariyas from India and abroad are expected to visit Kashi for darshan and jalabhishek of Baba Shri Kashi Vishwanath. To manage the massive influx, the local administration has put in place extensive security, traffic, crowd-management and surveillance arrangements across the city.A special action plan has been prepared for crowd control, traffic regulation, water safety and law and order. Security arrangements will cover land, water and air, with police, PAC, NDRF and water police teams deployed at Ganga ghats, temples and key routes.Anti-drone systems and geo-fencing have been arranged for the security of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and other sensitive areas. Anti-drone systems will remain active in restricted zones, while private drones will not be allowed without permission. Tethered drones will also be used for round-the-clock monitoring.Varanasi Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal said the city has been divided into five zones and 15 sectors in view of the expected rush during Shrawan. The deployment will include five IPS officers, 50 gazetted officers and around 5,000 police personnel.Additional forces will be deployed at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and on major routes on all Mondays of Shrawan and other important dates. Barricading, lost-and-found centres and plainclothes police personnel will also be part of the crowd-management plan.Adequate police personnel will be stationed at all major temples in Kashi. Fire tenders, Quick Response Teams (QRTs), medical facilities, ambulances and lost-and-found centres will be available. Several parking areas have also been identified for buses, cars and two-wheelers to ensure smooth traffic movement.Nearly 70% of the city will be monitored through CCTV cameras and the Trinetra system during Shrawan. Control rooms at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and railway stations will continuously monitor the movement and security of devotees. Plainclothes police personnel will be deployed in sensitive areas to keep watch for suspicious activities.At the Ganga ghats, flood relief police, water police, PAC personnel and trained divers will be deployed. Deep-water barricading has been arranged to prevent devotees from entering dangerous parts of the river.For kanwariyas, one lane from Prayagraj to Mohansarai will remain reserved. Temporary police booths, rest points and medical facilities will be set up along the Kanwar route. PRV and Phantom teams will be deployed every four kilometres to provide immediate assistance during emergencies.The Police Commissioner has directed officials to give top priority to the safety, convenience and smooth movement of devotees. Officers have been asked to continuously inspect their respective areas to ensure a safe, orderly and comfortable religious experience for devotees visiting Kashi for Baba Shri Kashi Vishwanath’s darshan.
