Monday, 03 July 2023 | PNS | PAURI
The Pauri district administration officers informed on Sunday that three drones and 77 CCTV cameras have been installed in Yameshwar block for the Neelkanth Shravan Kanwad mela that is beginning tomorrow. Besides, security has been strengthened by dividing the mela area into one super zone, seven zones as well as 24 sectors. In addition to the police force, teams of State Disaster Response Force, Water Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary have been deployed in the mela area to ensure that the religious congregation and the Yatra remain safe and smooth all through.
It is expected that the devotees in their thousands would start coming from tomorrow, visit the revered Neelkanth temple and perform Jalabhishek as per the long-prevailing religious rituals.
The senior superintendent of police Pauri Shweta Choubey had briefed the police personnel deployed to maintain law and order during the Neelkanth Shravan Kanwad mela in Parmarth Niketan in LaxmanJhula on Saturday. With a day left for the start of the religious fair and Yatra, the police personnel have started their duties from their respective posts on Sunday.
Choubey further said that an officer of the rank of additional superintendent of police has been appointed to supervise the mela in the super zone while officers of the rank of deputy superintendent of police has been entrusted with the task of ensuring smooth conduct of the large religious congregation in the seven zones. Besides, SHOs, SSIs, SOs, sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors have been deployed to closely monitor things in the 24 sectors.
It is further informed that 10 mobile centres and six missing persons’ enquiry centres have been set up across the mela area.
The district police officers informed on Sunday that to ensure peaceful conduct of the religious event, 894 police personnel have been deployed for the mela and out of them 551 personnel have been deployed in Pauri district. As per the information received from the district police officers, one ASP, two circle officers, five inspectors, 11 police station in-charges, 27 sub-inspectors, 23 assistant sub-inspectors, 80 head constables, 111 constables, 207 home guards and 84 PRDs have remained deployed. Plus, 300 police personnel have been brought in from another district while 43 police personnel have been kept in reserve.
Speaking of the police preparedness for the upcoming religious event, Choubey said that two teams of SDRF, water police/ diver team, two QRT teams, PAC special teams and anti- terrorist squad will remain on the alert mode round the clock till the completion of the religious event.
Besides, CCTV cameras and drones installed in sufficient numbers will keep alert eyes to see if suspicious activities are going on anywhere in the entire mela area.
Choubey stressed that restriction would remain in force on the movement of heavy vehicles in the mela area from July 15 to 17. “Besides, the pedestrian road will be closed from 6 in the evening to 5 in the morning to ensure safety of the devotees from the attacks of the wild animals,” she added.
