The meeting reviewed the preparations of 14 departments including Rath construction, law and order, health services, sanitation, power supply, drinking water, traffic management, road repair, sewage and drainage system. Keeping in mind the possibility of gathering of more than 15 lakh devotees in Rath Yatra this year, top priority has been given to safety and crowd management.
This year, 220 platoons of police will be deployed for the Rath Yatra. The entire Puri city will be under the surveillance of 475 CCTV cameras. 28 emergency exit points for crowd control, green corridors for ambulances, NSG along with Special Tactical Unit and senior IPS officers will be given various responsibilities. ‘Sahayata App’ will also be implemented to help devotees.
Jagannath temple Chief Administrator Dr. Arvind Padhi informed that the construction of the Rath has reached the final stage. The required palm wood for preparing more Charmal sets has already arrived. A special Rath Construction Committee has been formed to ensure smooth functioning of the Rath and Pahandi policies.
The Health Department will deploy 200 additional beds, 30 emergency treatment centers, 230 doctors and specialist doctors this year. Rapid response teams will work in crowded areas. Information has also been given about the installation of a permanent color unit and a cath lab in Puri.
The Puri Municipal Corporation has cleaned all the major drains of the city twice. While the Red Cross Road and Ganga-Yamuna drains have been cleaned, high-capacity power pumps will be installed for rainwater drainage. 1600 temporary toilets and 23 temporary parking lots will be arranged during Devasnan Purnima.
A big announcement has also been made regarding the transportation system. 130 special buses and 370 special trains will run during the Rath Yatra. A total of 1200 trains will run, including regular and special trains. A holding area for 25,000 passengers, 35 additional ticket counters, 12 ATVMs, 800 RPF and 1500 GRP personnel will be deployed near the railway station.
However, it was clarified in the meeting that the much-awaited Siddha Mahavir railway overbridge will not be operational before the Rath Yatra.
The high-level meeting was attended by the Chief Administrator of the Shrimandir, Panchayati Raj Minister Ravi Narayan Nayak, Culture Minister Suryavansi Suraj, Rajya Sabha MP Subhasish Khuntia, local MLAs, District Collector, SP, Additional DG Saumendra Priyadarshi and senior officers of various departments. The meeting emphasized on working in coordination among all departments to make the Rath Yatra successful and safe.
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