UP govt to monitor Kanwar Yatra with helicopter, shower flowers on kanwariyas

Meerut: The state government will monitor the upcoming Kanwar Yatra with a helicopter and also shower flowers on kanwariyas, an official statement issued here said on Saturday.

According to the statement, Chief Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh government Manoj Kumar Singh and Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar convened a review meeting ahead of the yatra with officials of different states in Meerut Divisional Commissioner Auditorium.

The meeting was attended by senior police and administrative officials of Meerut, Saharanpur, Aligarh and Moradabad divisions along with officials from Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan.

During the month on Sawan, which begins from July 22, people from Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan walk to Rishikesh and Haridwar in Uttarakhand to collect water from the Ganga river and bring it back to be offered in Shiva temples.

In the review meeting, the chief secretary said that the entire yatra will be monitored by a helicopter and flowers will be showered on kanwariyas like previous years, the statement said.

Singh directed the officials that "good behaviour" should be maintained towards the kanwariyas as it is the government's responsibility to ensure safe completion of the yatra, it said.

He said that special attention should be paid towards cleanliness of Kanwar camps and route. Efforts should be made to make the yatra completely plastic-free, the chief secretary added.

He directed the Public Works Department, NHAI officer to make sure that the entire Kanwar route is pothole-free, the statement said.

He also asked the concerned officers of the electricity department to repair electric wires and poles on the route so that no untoward incident occurs, it said.

According to the statement, the chief secretary and DGP also visited Baba Aughadnath temple and took stock of the security arrangements related to the yatra.

Officials of districts in western Uttar Pradesh were informed about the Kanwar Yatra proceedings through virtual medium, it said.

DGP Kumar said that route diversions should be done for the yatra only after informing the locals, the statement mentioned. Arrangements should be made to check the quality of food items in the camp so that incidents such as food poisoning do not occur, it said.

He also directed the officials to ensure that sound boxes on Kanwar vehicles remain within the prescribed height to prevent incidents like electrocution, the statement said.

The DGP said that criminal elements should be closely monitored and immediate action should be taken if any suspicious activity is observed. Local officials informed that instructions have been given to the fire department officer to remain on alert during the yatra, the statement said.