As many as 25,000 police personnel of different cadres will be deputed for Krishna Pushkarams – 2016. The 12-day event will be celebrated from August 12 to 23, and about 1.50 crore pilgrims are expected to attend the utsavams.
Officials are busy making arrangements such as designing ghats, laying roads, setting up regional and master control rooms and expansion of ghats roads.
The district administration is preparing to construct about 54 ghats along the upstream and downstream of Krishna River, of which 15 ghats would be allotted for VIPs and VVIPs. Authorities are planning to depute National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams at the ghats as a preventive measure.
Speaking to The Hindu, City Police Commissioner D. Gautam Sawang, who visited the ghats, along with Additional Police Commissioner Mahesh Chandra Laddha, Deputy Commissioners of Police L.K.V. Ranga Rao and G.V.G. Ashok Kumar said, expansion of ghats located near the bus and railway stations are planned for the convenience of devotees.
Heavy rush is expected at Padmavathi ghat, Durga, Krishnaveni, Dhobi ghat and the new ghat formed at Ibrahimpatnam. Additional forces would be deployed on holidays and auspicious days to control the rush, Mr. Sawang said.
“We visited the places where ghats are proposed along the riverbund. Wide publicity would be given through public announcement system on the location of ghats, particularly at Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS), Vijayawada Railway Station and other satellite stations,” said Mr. Ladddha.
Mr. Kalidas Ranga Rao said boards would be displayed indicating capacity at each ghat and police will allow devotees as per capacity and divert the rush to other ghats where pilgrims are less. The in-charges at the ghats will ensure that devotees are diverted to all ghats equally.
“According to the official figures, nearly 89 lakh devotees attended Krishna Pushkarams last time. We are expecting about Rs. 1.50 crore rush this year,” the DCP said.
Besides, police and NDRF, force from AP State Disaster Response and Fire Service would be deployed at vantage points. Officials of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) are establishing a master control room on its premises, while police will set up regional control rooms at the Police Control Room, said Mr. Ashok Kumar.
The State and Central Intelligence, Special Branch, Task Force, Counter Intelligence and other wings would be pressed into service for smooth conduct of the utsavams, the police officers said.