LUCKNOW: The massive influx of devotees jostling to be a part of the grand finale of the 45-day Mahakumbh by taking a holy dip at the Sangam on Mahashivratri on Wednesday has driven the administration to put heavy restrictions on vehicle movement in Prayagraj from 6 pm on Tuesday.
The administration exempted vehicles carrying essential supplies like milk, vegetables, medicines, petrol/diesel, ambulances and vehicles of government employees (doctors, police, administration).
The heavy footfall on the Mela premises in the run-up to the Mahashivratri snan, which would see the conclusion of the largest congregation of humanity on earth, drove the authorities engaged in crowd and traffic management to close the Mela premises for cars at 4 pm on Tuesday.
In order to avoid congestion at important pilgrimage destinations, devotees are encouraged to bathe at the closest ghats and pray at nearby Shiva temples. "Officials have urged devotees to avoid unnecessary movement. They have been advised by the administration to return to their destinations promptly after completing rituals," the guideline stated.
All guests are urged by the Mela Police Administration to abide by the guidelines and assist in keeping the peace during the significant religious gathering. This Mahakumbh Mela, which is being hosted after a 12-year break, commenced on January 13 and will conclude on Wednesday.
As per the official figures, over 64 crore devotees have taken a holy dip at the Sangam so far. With Mahashivratri marking a significant spiritual moment, this number is expected to surpass 66 crore.
For the past 10 days, over 1.25 crore devotees have been taking a holy dip at the Sangam daily from across the country and abroad.
Throughout the Mela, the main Snans alone witnessed a staggering 17 crore devotees taking a holy dip in the Sangam amid the significant presence of visitors from abroad.
Each Amrit Snan at Mahakumbh drew more than 2.5 crore devotees, immersing themselves in the waters of Triveni. Also, the event witnessed a dozen occasions when the number of devotees breached the 1.5 crore figure at the Sangam.
In order to ensure seamless movement of the crowd and peaceful finale of the Mela in all its religious grandeur, comprehensive measures have been implemented.
The Uttar Pradesh government has deployed several senior IPS officers to oversee security arrangements and ensure effective execution of the plan on the ground. These officers, previously holding key positions in various police units in state capital Lucknow, have been deputed on the mela premises to strengthen coordination and crowd management, ensuring a safe and orderly pilgrimage experience for devotees.
According to UP Director General of Police Prashant Kumar, the senior officers deployed in Prayagraj have been entrusted with specific responsibilities of traffic and crowd management. They have been given charge of key routes leading to the city to facilitate smooth vehicular movement.
Unlike previous occasions, when the senior officers, deployed on Maha Snan days for better management, used to return to their place of posting, this time the state government has sent four Additional Director Generals of Police (ADG) and five Inspector Generals of Police (IGP) to be based in Prayagraj to oversee and strengthen the management of the event.
Among these senior IPS officers are ADGs Sujeet Pandey, K Satya Narayan, Padmaja Chauhan and Nilabja Choudhury, while IGPs Ashutosh Kumar, Modak Rajesh D Rao, Preetinder Singh, Chandra Prakash and Manzil Saini deployed, said a police officer. He added besides ADGs and IGs rank officers, four Superintendent of Police (SPs), seven Additional Superintendent of Police (ASPs) and 20 DSP rank officers have also been sent in order to avert any untoward incident during the final snan of the mela.
These senior IPS officers have been deputed on the mela premises in addition to police personnel already posted at the Mahakumbh.
Moreover, along with IPS officers, 33 Additional Superintendents of Police and 105 Deputy Superintendents of Police have also taken position at the Mahakumbh.
