Kanwar Yatra: UP govt requests neighbouring states to issue ID cards for pilgrims

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government on Saturday asked officials from the neighbouring states to issue ID cards to the Kanwar pilgrims from their respective regions, a press statement said.

The request was made in preparation for the upcoming Kanwar Yatra, during the holy month of Sawan, for which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently convened a high-level meeting.

The CM directed the officials to ensure robust arrangements for Kanwar pilgrims' safety and convenience.

Subsequently, on Saturday, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and DGP Prashant Kumar met in Meerut with senior officials from western Uttar Pradesh and four other states to strategize on ensuring a safe and successful pilgrimage for the devotees.

As per the press statement issued by the state government, in the meeting, officials stated that Kanwar pilgrims will not be allowed to carry spears, tridents, or any weapon.

"There will be no ban on DJs on the Kanwar Yatra route, but the sound must be within the prescribed legal limit. The Kanwar Yatra will be monitored by CCTV and drones," the statement reads.

Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh mentioned that the Kanwar Yatra will start on July 22 in the state. He stated that for security reasons, the entire route has been divided into five zones. Health camps and Kanwar camps will be set up at various places along the route, providing resting, dining, and accommodation facilities for the pilgrims. Separate camps will be arranged for women.

Health camps will also have anti-venom injections available. Eight combined control rooms will be set up in UP and Uttarakhand, operated by officials from both states to ensure all necessary facilities for the Kanwar pilgrims, Singh said.

DGP Prashant Kumar said that changes have been made in the traffic system given the yatra. The entry of heavy vehicles will be banned from the routes from which the yatra starts. Additionally, heavy vehicles will be banned from midnight of July 21 on the Delhi Expressway, Dehradun Expressway and Chaudhary Charan Singh Kanwar Marg.

He further mentioned that the police will regulate the songs played by DJs and the sound limits during the yatra. Special security measures will be in place on the borders of Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan, with active dog squads, bomb disposal teams, IB, intelligence, and LIU teams.

Liquor and meat shops along the Kanwar route will be closed. Electric poles will be covered with polythene, and transformers with nets to prevent any accidents. Camps along the Yatra route will be set up away from highways and expressways.

DGP Kumar also mentioned that officials from other states have been instructed to provide ID cards to the Kanwar pilgrims to ensure they can be contacted and assisted in case of any issues. Additionally, the villages and police stations of the groups of pilgrims should be noted.