As the date for the commencement of Godavari Pushkarams approaches fast, the police are making elaborate arrangements to ensure safety and convenience to pilgrims visiting the State during the 12-day event.
An estimated four crore people are expected to take a dip in Godavari river in the State during the pushkarams and arrangements are being made to ensure that no untoward incident takes place during the period.
As many as 20,000 police personnel would be deployed on security duties to guard the 258 ghats categorised into A+, A, B and C.
The police identified nine ghats, including five in Rajahmundry and one each in Kotipalli, Kovvuru, Devipatnam and Kunavaram in the two Godavari districts, as important ghats.
Elaborate arrangements, including barricading with compartments would be put in place to avoid stampedes while close mesh barricades would be arranged inside the water at bathing areas to prevent pilgrims for accidentally foraying into deep waters. “There will be boats all along in addition to expert swimmers and divers along the ghats,” Additional Director General of Police (law & order) R.P. Thakur said.
Vehicles will not be allowed to demarcated areas to prevent traffic jams and 261 parking slots would be put in place for the pilgrims to park their vehicles.
The APSRTC would operate special services to ferry pilgrims from parking lots to bathing ghats while arrangements are being made to ply battery operated vehicles to carry the disabled and senior citizens.
The proceedings would be monitored round-the-clock from master command and control centre to be manned by an Inspector General rank officer in addition to 21 highway and 36 motorcycle patrolling teams. Traffic diversions would be put in place and watch towers would be set up at all important ghats for viewing the gathering. Mr. Thakur said dedicated anti-sabotage checking, bomb disposal and dog squads would be deployed at vantage points while the department was seeking assistance of neighbouring States. “We are seeking women constables from other States as we have less number of them in the State,” he said.
