With lakhs of devotees expected to pour in during Kanwar Mela slated from August 1, police have tightened its belt. Additional forces would be deployed during Mela, Garhwal Range IG/DIG Sanjay Kumar Gunjyal said on Wednesday.
Gunjyal said that the all preparations for Kanwar Mela have been nearly completed and additional police forces will be deployed along the Kanwar Mela routes. A flood rescue team of SDRF have already been trained on rafting, swimming and deep-diving courses. They will also be deputed along the rivers to conduct rescue and relief operation in case any of the devotees is swept away or drowns in the river, he said.
Following recent terrorist attack in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, elaborate security arrangements have been made along the Kanwar Mela routes, he said.
Gunjyal said that he has recently met the district heads of Haridwar, Tehri, Dehradun, Uttarkashi and Pauri and directed them to take measures to step up security during the mela to ensure its peaceful completion.
He has directed the district police officers to deploy additional police forces in the sensitive areas to prevent untoward incidents in the districts. “The police forces should be on full alert at their assigned posts. No one should be allowed to take law in their hands and those caught violating law should be punished as per law of land. The policemen should be vigilant particularly on the anti- social elements, operating in the sensitive areas along Kanwar Mela routes,” he said.
Gunjyal further said that four additional SPs, 14 COs, 40 inspectors and 169 sub-inspectors, 220 head constables, 1938 constables, 55 women sub-inspectors, 195 women constables, 11 traffic inspectors, 25 head traffic head constables, 120 traffic constables, six companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), 12 companies of PAC and IRB, two companies of flood relief teams of PAC, two teams each of Mounted police squad, bomb disposal squad, 10 sub-inspectors of lIU, 10 lIU head constables and 25 constables have been deployed. Four companies of RAF will also be deployed to give more teeth to the security during the mela. Besides, CCTV cameras will also be installed at important places along the mela routes, he added.