TIRUCHY: In the light of increase in footfall, the administration of the Samayapuram Mariamman Temple has placed a request to district authorities to establish a permanent police outpost near the temple and instal additional CCTV cameras on the premises.
The superintendent of police, however, says adequate protection measures are already put in place. Thousands of devotees visit the temple on weekends and the number swells to a few lakhs during festivals such as poochorithal and thai poosam, making crowd control a challenge.
Currently, security is provided through temporary deployment of police personnel. However, temple administrators say this is not sufficient. Devotees also raised concerns of overcrowding during festival days.
Temple authorities said they have submitted petition in the past to the offices of the SP and Deputy Inspector General of Police, demanding a permanent police outpost.
Chairman of the board of trustees of Samayapuram temple VSP Elangovan said, “While we appreciate the support of the police, the absence of a permanent outpost puts immense pressure on us. Many devotees from faraway places stay overnight in the temple during special poojas. With no full-time night security, it can be unsafe, especially for women. A permanent police outpost would ensure round-the-clock safety and support for devotees.”
Joint Commissioner of the temple AR Prakash said, “While we regularly monitor the temple premises to prevent any illegal activity, having police personnel stationed here would be more effective. We have fixed 200 CCTV cameras but they do not cover all areas of the temple. We require more cameras.”
When contacted, Superintendent of Police S Selvanagarathinam told TNIE, “We have not received any petition from temple authorities. The Samayapuram Police Station currently handles temple security, including duties previously handled from an outpost. After I took charge, I have increased patrol vehicles, police personnel, and home guards deployed at the temple to ensure round-the-clock surveillance. Based on our assessment, the current set-up is sufficient.”
Temple sources, however, said, “Mostly, home guards are posted on duty, and they are unfamiliar with the temple layout. Also, they can be seen using phones instead of focusing on crowd monitoring.”