Ahead of the annual Kanwar Yatra beginning with the start Hindu holy Shravan month on July 11, elaborate security arrangements have been made across 840 Kanwar routes in different districts of Uttar Pradesh, which nearly stretch over of 12,535 km, leading to around 4,556 ‘Shivalayas’ (Lord Shiva temples) where around an estimated 4 crore devotees will offer water fetched from 322 different rivers and ghats across the state, said senior police officials on Tuesday.
They said the force deployment has also been made at around 314 spots where ‘Sawan Melas’ will be organised during this period. The yatra will end on July 23.
On Tuesday, state chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and director general of police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna met senior officials from western Uttar Pradesh in Meerut and four other bordering states including Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan to strategise on ensuring a safe and successful pilgrimage. The officials from neighbouring states were also urged to issue ID cards to the Kanwar pilgrims from their respective regions.
Clean food, safe water and real-time monitoring
Highlighting the importance of food safety and hygiene, chief secretary Manoj Singh said, “FSSAI teams will inspect food outlets, and all dhabas and hotels will display QR codes for transparency. Only pure vegetarian food will be allowed along the route.”
He also directed the irrigation department to monitor canal water levels and the PWD to ensure road repair and maintenance. “Past incidents, especially those related to electric faults or food poisoning, must be reviewed by respective departments to avoid repeat failures,” he said.
Tightened security
DGP Rajeev Krishna said it is the utmost priority of the Uttar Pradesh government that security arrangements during Kanwar Yatra must remain foolproof. Proactive intelligence collection, swift police response and real-time monitoring and response on social media should be done to counter rumours effectively, he added.
“While we respect every pilgrim’s faith and tradition, strict action must be taken against mischief-makers to uphold law and order,” the DGP said.
He further said the route has been divided into five zones, with extensive deployment: Every 15 km, an IPS officer will be stationed, each critical point will have 20 police personnel, including those in uniform and civvies.
Lost-and-found camps, health camps every 5 km and special provisions for women pilgrims-including separate toilets and bathing facilities-have been planned. Kanwar camps will be built 20 feet away from the road, and all electricity poles and transformers will be secured with polythene and metal mesh respectively.
The DGP said changes have been made in the traffic system in view of 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 12 midnight of July 11 on Delhi Expressway, Dehradun Expressway and Chaudhary Charan Singh Kanwar Marg.
He further said Kanwar pilgrims are advised not to carry spears, tridents or any kind of weapon. The DGP said there will be no ban on DJs on the Kanwar Yatra route, but the sound must be within the permissible limit as per the Supreme Court directives.
He said liquor and meat shops along the Kanwar routes will remain closed. Local authorities have been asked to ensure that animals like pigs should not be found straying onto the routes of the yatra.
Another police official said the Kanwar Yatra will be monitored by CCTVs, helicopters and drones. Special security measures will be in place on the borders of adjoining states with dog squads, bomb disposal teams and intelligence teams.
He explained that the Ghaziabad-Haridwar road is the busiest during the yatra. He said necessary traffic diversions should be done to ensure safe and peaceful movement of devotees. The cop said normal traffic on Ayodhya-Basti road should be restricted as a huge crowd of devotees uses it. Only ambulances and other emergency vehicles should be allowed on it, he stated.
Another state government official said police officials are coordinating with registered organisations and individuals who set up roadside camps to offer food, water and bedding to devotees. He said Varanasi police and district administration have been asked to make special arrangements at the Kashi Vishwanath temple as many devotees are expected to visit it during the pilgrimage period.
Digital coordination, border vigilance
A WhatsApp group has been formed, linking administrative officials from all four participating states for real-time communication and emergency responses. Special arrangements will be made at borders between Delhi, UP, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.