VIJAYAWADA: EVEN as 3.5 crore people are expected to take a holy dip in river Krishna during the 12-day Krishna Pushkarams, commencing on August 12, the police department is making necessary arrangements to ensure safety and security of the devotees.
Over 19,000 cops will be deployed in 74 bathing ghats (categorised into A+, A, B and C) across Krishna district. The Bhavani, Punnami, Durga, Krishnaveni, Padmavathi, Sangamam, Muktyala and Vedadri ghats have been identified as the important ones.
Barricading with compartments is being undertaken near the ghats to avoid stampede. Though the width of ghats is good enough, pilgrims will be allowed in a phased manner, as the entry and exit points are narrow at several places. Watch towers will be also established to closely monitor the devotees. Boats, expert swimmers and divers will be kept available along the ghats to avoid accidental foraying into deep waters.
The police earmarked 113 parking slots in the city. However, cars and other vehicles of pilgrims will not be allowed into the city, to avoid traffic congestion. The APSRTC will ferry the devotees from parking lots to bathing ghats, free of cost.
The entire events will be monitored round-the-clock from central command control centre, being established at armed reserve headquarters on Mahatma Gandhi Road. It will be manned by Inspector General rank officer, said Vijayawada Deputy Commissioner of Police (law & order) G Pal Raju.
As many as 700 bomb disposal personnel and dog squads will be deployed near bathing ghats, pushkar nagars and satellite railway stations. Women constables from other districts will also be deployed.
As part of the administrative convenience, the localities in the neighbourhood of the ghats have been divided into 19 zones and 74 sectors. Each zone will be monitored by DSP rank officer. ACP rank officer will monitor the zones consisting of ghats. Civil, armed reserved police and NDRF forces will also attend the pushkar duties, he said.
Drones will be used near major ghats, to obtain live feed of the proceedings. Efforts are underway to install 458 CC cameras, including 248 equipped with infrared facility, to capture images near the ghats, even in the nights.