Ghaziabad: With Kanwar Yatra set to begin next week, UP govt has rolled out a plan to manage the annual pilgrimage — from barricaded bathing ghats and illuminated routes to hospital alerts, ambulances, CCTV surveillance and round-the-clock control rooms. In the city, officials have identified two main Kanwar routes covering 78.5km and two auxiliary routes spanning another 81km.Officials said special arrangements are being made at major temples and the Gang Canal ghat in Muradnagar, one of the key bathing points for devotees. Barricades, safety ropes, warning signage and other protective measures are being installed to manage crowds and reduce the risk of accidents.District magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar said preparations were reviewed during a coordination meeting with Kanwar camp organisers. “Nearly 250 govt and private hospitals across the district have been put on alert. Medical camps, ambulances, mobile medical kits and healthcare teams will be deployed along the routes so that devotees receive immediate assistance in case of an emergency,” he added.A detailed security plan has also been put in place. Police personnel, women police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Rapid Action Force (RAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and civil defence teams will be deployed across the district. CCTV cameras, watch towers, quick response teams and dedicated queue management systems will monitor crowd movement round the clock.To coordinate operations during the yatra, a central control room supported by five sector control rooms will function 24×7. The administration has appointed 11 zonal magistrates, 24 sector magistrates and 108 sub-sector magistrates to supervise arrangements and respond quickly to any issue on the ground.Officials said 6,970 streetlights are being installed along the Kanwar routes to improve visibility during night-time movement of pilgrims. Forty backup generators have also been arranged to ensure uninterrupted power supply.In view of religious sentiments, meat and liquor shops located along notified Kanwar routes will remain closed during the yatra period. Six special enforcement teams have been constituted to ensure compliance with the restrictions.The food safety department has also directed eateries and food outlets along the pilgrimage routes to display QR codes along with their names.To simplify procedures for organisers, permissions for setting up Kanwar camps will be issued through a single-window clearance system at Police Lines from July 25 to 30, eliminating the need to approach multiple departments separately.Officials said traffic diversions and crowd-management measures would be implemented in phases so that the movement of pilgrims remains smooth while minimising inconvenience to local residents.
