Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday reviewed the preparations for the upcoming Kanwar Mela-2025 through video conferencing with administrative and police officials.
The Chief Minister directed officials to analyse challenges faced in maintaining law and order during previous years and to ensure corrective measures are taken so that such incidents are not repeated this time. He emphasised effective crowd control, traffic management, and security arrangements to prevent any kind of vandalism, disturbances, or untoward incidents during this grand religious event.
The Chief Minister instructed that complete verification of camp operators, volunteers, staff, and persons staying in hotels and dharamshalas be ensured. He also directed installation of X-ray systems, deployment of fire extinguishers, fire tenders and adequate personnel at all major locations.
Special instructions were issued to maintain strict monitoring of the quality of food and beverages, ensure robust measures to prevent waterborne diseases, involve volunteers in crowd management, and use CCTV cameras and drones for continuous surveillance. The CM also stressed keeping the intelligence network fully active and deploying ATS and special security forces in view of potential terror threats.
The Chief Minister directed that ambulances and backup facilities be arranged at Haridwar ghats, Neelkanth Mahadev temple and other key sites. Adequate deployment of plainclothes male and female security personnel as well as divers and water police equipped with disaster relief equipment should be ensured and kept on alert mode.
He also instructed regulating the use of loudspeakers, DJs and high-volume amplifiers along the travel routes, identifying and rectifying black spots to prevent accidents, and widely disseminating dos and don’ts for Kanwar pilgrims through pamphlets, hoardings, public announcements and social media.
The Chief Minister further directed running awareness campaigns to discourage Kanwar pilgrims from carrying sticks, rods or sharp objects, strictly enforcing the ban on sale of intoxicants, liquor and meat along the travel routes, and ensuring basic facilities like electricity, water and medical services.
Taking note of the increasing number of female Kanwar pilgrims, the CM stressed special security arrangements at women’s ghats and dharamshalas. He also directed strengthening inter-state coordination for prompt exchange of information, monitoring social media, taking strict action against rumour mongers and immediately countering misleading posts.
The Chief Minister instructed all departmental secretaries and police IGs to conduct on-ground inspections of the Kanwar Mela area within the next three days, review the preparations and finalise their departmental action plans.
The meeting was attended by Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, DGP Deepam Seth, Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, Commissioners of Garhwal and Kumaon, along with other senior officials.
