UP deploys 35,000 cops, PAC, paramilitary force for Kanwar Yatra security across state

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh has deployed 35,000 civil police personnel, 151 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and 11 companies of paramilitary forces for the annual Kanwar Yatra, as part of extensive security and logistical arrangements across the state.The security plan covers 840 stretches, with around 10,000 volunteers deployed to assist pilgrims and manage crowds. Teams from the ATS, NDRF and SDRF have also been stationed at key locations.Authorities have installed 29,454 CCTV cameras and deployed 395 drones for surveillance. A total of 1,222 police helpdesks and 829 medical camps have also been set up for devotees travelling through Uttar Pradesh after collecting holy Ganga water from Haridwar.Special traffic arrangements have been made in Meerut, Ghaziabad, Prayagraj, Agra, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Kasganj and Varanasi to ensure smooth movement of pilgrims.Additional DGP, Meerut Zone, Bhanu Bhaskar, said damaged electric poles and hanging wires along the Kanwar routes were identified and removed on the directions of chief minister Yogi Adityanath and DGP Rajeev Krishna. Gazetted officers have also been deployed in sensitive areas.Meerut Range DIG Kalanidhi Naithani said nearly 8,000 police personnel have been deployed across 28 major Kanwar routes spanning 969 km. Surveillance will be maintained through 4,000 CCTV cameras, 97 drones and 19 watchtowers.In Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar, more than 10,000 police personnel and 5,000 volunteers have been deployed. In Agra, authorities have enforced a 12-foot height limit on Kanwar structures and directed compliance with Supreme Court-prescribed noise limits for DJ systems.Kasganj, which is expecting 12-13 lakh devotees, has been divided into nine zones and 21 sectors, with watchtowers, CCTV surveillance, flood-relief teams and divers deployed at key locations.In Prayagraj, parts of the Prayagraj-Varanasi route have been converted into a one-way corridor for Kanwariyas.In Varanasi, nearly 5,000 personnel, including senior IPS officers, have been deployed, with the Kashi Vishwanath temple, railway station and major ghats under round-the-clock surveillance through the Trinetra monitoring system.Police booths, medical camps and lost-and-found centres have also been set up along the route.