Ayodhya, Apr 15:
As large number of devotees are expected to visit to Ayodhya for Lord Ram’s darshan on the occasion of Ram Navami after the consecration ceremony the Uttar Pradesh government has geared up to tighten security in and around Ayodhya for devotees’ safety as well as to facilitate darshan.
The state government has made elaborate arrangements to observe the festival on a grand note while the police administration has stepped up efforts to put all necessary security measures in place in view of the large influx of devotees, ensuring the smooth execution of this significant festival.
In addition to securing the incoming devotees, the police have devised plans for crowd management and darshan and have estimated devotee numbers. The Ram Navami Mela commenced in Ayodhya Dham on April 9 and will continue until Ram Navami to be held on April 17, potentially attracting 25 lakh devotees.
Many police personnel will be deployed during the Ram Navami Mela to ensure safety and security. The fairgrounds have been meticulously divided into seven zones and 39 sectors, while traffic management has been organised into two zones and 11 clusters.
To oversee devotee security throughout the event, there will be 11 Additional Superintendents of Police, 26 Deputy SP, 150 Inspectors, 400 Sub Inspectors, 25 Women Sub Inspectors, 1,305 HeadConstables and Constables, 270 Women Chief Constables and Constables and 15 Company PACs.
Additionally, two companies for flood relief, 1 team from SDRF and 1 team from ATS, have been assigned supplementary duties. An ASP will supervise each zone, and each sector will have a designated DSP.
Round-the-clock security will be maintained on the temple premises and the Mela area. To ensure safe darshan experiences, 15 drop-down barriers and 13 holding areas will be established along Ram Path. Moreover, 50 locations within the fairgrounds will be equipped with PA systems, while continuous surveillance will be conducted via 111 CCTV cameras from the Yellow Zone Control Room.
To ensure orderly arrangements for the Mela, the police administration has set up a control room spanning from the Irrigation Department Guest House to Nayaghat Police Chawki. The police deployment will be strategically organized along devotee routes, primarily from Saket Petrol Pump via Lata Chowk, Saryu Ghat to Hanumangarhi, and from Hanuman Garhi to Kanak Bhawan and Ramlala Temple, divided into distinct zones and sectors.
Water police will oversee security along the Saryu River and Ram ki Pauri, while police and PAC forces will be stationed at various temples and Mela grounds. The movement of vehicles and devotees will be monitored using 24 ANPR cameras installed at key locations throughout Ayodhya Dham. Additionally, the inflow and outflow of vehicles and devotees will be analyzed via cameras at the Gonda border.
CCTV cameras installed in Ayodhya Dham will assess crowd levels and determine necessary traffic diversions at different locations. Five hundred sixty cameras will be installed in various control rooms across Ayodhya Dham to monitor devotee movement. Furthermore, real-time analysis of roads, streets, and parking areas will be conducted using two tethered and eight aerial drones
