The administration is gearing up for another big day at the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. Several measures have been put in place for the safety of the devotees after a stampede killed 30 last month during 'Amrit snaan' or holy dip.
Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is taking place, has been turned into a 'no vehicle zone' ahead of the Maghi Purnima Snan which will mark the end of the Kalpvas period, a tradition central to the festival which began on January 13.
Kalpvas refers to the practice of living near a sacred river for a set period, adhering to fasting, self-discipline, introspection and spiritual purification. Performing Kalpvas during the Maha Kumbh is considered auspicious. This year, more than 10 lakh devotees have undertaken Kalpavas at the Triveni Sangam - The point of confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical river Saraswati.
Medical Arrangements
A total of 133 ambulances have been deployed for the safety of devotees. Over 40 hospitals in Mahakumbhnagar are on high alert and 125 ambulances, seven river ambulances and one air ambulance have been deployed.
High-tech arrangements from minor operations to major surgeries in every sector have been made at Maha Kumbh and 2,000 medical forces in Mahakumbhnagar and 700 at Swarooprani Nehru Hospital (SRN) are in high alert mode.
Devotees on the eve of 'Magh Purnima', during the ongoing Mahakumbh
Photo Credit: PTI
At least 200 units of blood banks are ready and at least 250 beds have been reserved in hospitals. In Mahakumbhnagar, a hospital with a capacity of 500 beds is ready and 30 expert doctors are deployed with 150 medical personnel from AYUSH Ministry. Experts from AIIMS Delhi and Banaras Hindu University will also be present.
Crowd, Traffic Management
At least 3 crore devotees are expected to take a holy dip on the 31st day of Maha Kumbh. This will be the fifth holy dip on this Maha Kumbh.
A heavy police deployment is being observed in the city and cops are using drones to monitor the movement of traffic in different areas.
Several companies of the paramilitary forces, Rapid Action Forces and UP Police are present to ensure smooth movement of people.
Railways have made preparations similar to the ones made on Mauni Amavasya on January 29. One hundred and fifty special trains were running in the last three to four days, but there are preparations to run about 225 trains for Maghi Purnima.
To ensure the safe evacuation of the devotees from the area in case of any emergency, a special traffic plan will remain in place till the completion of the bathing ritual on Wednesday.
The special arrangements come amid reports of heavy traffic on Maha Kumbh route. Thousands of devotees are heading to the area but are being forced to spend the night on the highway due to several kilometres-long traffic jams.
On Monday, thousands of devotees going to the Maha Kumbh were stranded on highways due to massive traffic jams, reportedly spanning 300 km.
Apart from essential and emergency services, the Mela area will be a No Vehicle zone from 4:00 am today. The vehicles of devotees coming from outside for the Maha Kumbh bath in Prayagraj city will be parked in the parking of the respective route. The entire city has been turned into a no-vehicle zone, barring vehicles involved in essential services. The restrictions will remain in force tomorrow as well.
"We are using ANPR and AI-enabled cameras and also taking inputs from different toll plazas about the number of incoming vehicles. The Mela area will remain a 'no vehicle' zone from today ahead of Magh Purnima. The city will also become a 'no parking' zone from today. A separate traffic arrangement has been made for the Kalpvasis. Wrongly parked vehicles are being picked up by cranes," Prayagraj Police Commissioner Tarun Gauba said.
Steps Taken After Stampede
Better crowd management measures were put in place after the stampede that killed 30 and injured 60 devotees on January 29. The Uttar Pradesh government enforced 'Operation Eleven' for the holy dip on 'Basant Panchami' on February 3.
The plan included a one-way traffic route for devotees and smooth movement on pontoon bridges. To prevent overcrowding at the Triveni ghats, additional police forces have been deployed and barricades have been increased.
