The Yogi Adityanath government has made foolproof preparations for the fourth bathing festival on Magh Purnima on Wednesday at the Maha Kumbh 2025.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued clear directives to officials to ensure that no devotee, kalpvasi or ordinary citizen faces any inconvenience in the Maha Kumbh Mela area or across Prayagraj city.
In line with this, the local administration and police are working with full readiness, focusing on traffic management, smooth vehicular movement, parking, security, surveillance and overall monitoring.
Providing insights into these preparations, Prayagraj’s Commissioner of Police Tarun Gaba emphasised that the Uttar Pradesh government and UP Police are committed to offering devotees a seamless and hassle-free experience at the Maha Kumbh.
He said that traffic management plans were made months in advance and were being successfully implemented. He added, “Despite the surge in vehicles towards the weekend and intermittent high-traffic periods, the administration and police force have efficiently managed challenges through tireless efforts. As a result, traffic remains smooth on all routes leading to the mela area and within Prayagraj, ensuring no congestion in the city.”
The commissioner of police reiterated that the administration works round the clock to ensure a hassle-free experience for devotees while maintaining smooth traffic flow. He appealed to visitors to park only in designated areas to facilitate orderly movement.
The police and local administration are utilising automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and artificial intelligence-enabled cameras to monitor the movement of devotees and regulate traffic in the mela area.
Additionally, real-time data is being gathered from toll plazas and officials in neighbouring districts to track the number of incoming vehicles and routes, enabling appropriate traffic management.
To ensure a smooth experience for all, the entire Maha Kumbh mela area has been declared a no-vehicle zone a day before the Magh Purnima bathing festival with entry restricted only to essential and emergency services.
Vehicular movement across Prayagraj city has also been restricted from Tuesday evening. All private and public vehicles arriving in Prayagraj after 4 am on Tuesday are being directed to designated parking areas along their respective routes. This measure aims to prevent traffic congestion in the city and allow pilgrims to reach the bathing ghats conveniently on foot.
The police and administration have urged all devotees to utilise designated parking areas along their route and avoid attempting to reach Sangam directly,
A dedicated traffic plan has been implemented for the kalpvasis residing in the mela area, and all necessary information has been conveyed to them.
The administration has also urged the public to refrain from spreading misinformation or believing in rumours on social media.
Traffic-related challenges have been effectively addressed by deploying additional police personnel and continuous efforts.
Traffic is flowing smoothly on all major routes, with no significant increase in congestion on Tuesday evening. Junctions within the city are also witnessing seamless vehicular movement, claimed UP’s Director General of Police Prashant Kumar.
The special traffic plan will remain in effect until the completion of the Magh Purnima snan on Wednesday.
