DEHRADUN: In view of the large gathering at the time of Mahakumbh 2021, an elaborate security cover will be put in place along with inter-state intelligence sharing. The Inspector General, Kumbh Mela 2021, Sanjay Gunjyal said, “Communication with neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh is also being set up for the religious event. This will enable the us to get information in advance about any incident as well as traffic congestion on highways leading to Uttarakhand.”
According to officials responsible for the management and planning of the religious event, efforts are on to ensure foolproof security cover for the Mahakumbh and better coordination with the neighbouring state police. As apart of security arrangements, over 100 drones are said to be monitoring the congregation round the clock along with 1500 CCTVs. Along with the drones, the police have planned to use LCD screens and face recognition cameras to monitor the crowds.
Deployment of central paramilitary forces will also be done during the mega event for which assessment is underway to submit a requirement proposal to Union home ministry. “We have chalked out a plan to get about 150 odd companies of paramilitary forces wand 50 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) along with bomb disposal squad, commando unit and anti-mine team to ensure foolproof security in the Mahakumbh,” added Gunjyal.
The Uttarakhand state police is already organizing specialised training for the Mahakumbh force personnel which includes imparting knowledge of mythological, historical aspects of the religious congregation along with local geographical knowledge about Har-Ki-Pauri, Ganga ghats, shrines, public places, exit-entry routes, local language.
Forces are also being coached in English language expecting the arrival of foreigners. Efforts are already on to put the entire mela region on Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing set up to for better management of the mega event along with developing an android mobile application for the pilgrims. The setup will be using satellite imagery which would enable the authorities to have real-time data for monitoring of the event. More than 5 Crore people are expected to attend the Mahakumbh mela.