GANDHINAGAR, July 6: For the first time, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will monitor the annual Rathyatra (procession) of Lord Jagannath in Ahmedabad this year.
The route of the procession passes through communally sensitive areas of the city, which witnesses tight security on the day.
“The two UAVs will conduct aerial patrolling, monitor the Rathyatra procession and click digital photographs to facilitate peaceful festival,” Gujarat Director General of Police Amitabh Pathak said here today.
There would be heavy deployment of police and Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF). In addition to UAVs, 20 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras will be installed at various places.
The 136th Rathyatra of Lord Jagannath will be taken out on July 10 (Asadhi Bij) this year.
Fourteen CAPF companies — Border Security Force (6), Rapid Action Force (4), Central Reserve Police Force (2) and Central Industrial Security Force (2) — will be deployed in Ahmedabad city to prevent anti-social elements from creating mischief, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mahesh Nayak said.
Eight teams of Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS)
Will also be available.
Two DIGP-rank officers, 19 superintendents of police, 46 deputy superintendents of police, 160 police inspectors, 100 police sub inspectors, 1,400 head constables and constables, two platoons of women police constables and 25 SRP companies will be deployed from outside the city, Pathak said, adding that this force would be in addition to city police.
The DGP further said that across Gujarat, seventeen rathyatra processions have been declared “sensitive”. Processions will be undertaken at a total of 132 places in the State on July 10, while the one at Vidhyanagar in Anand district will be taken out a day earlier.
“Seventeen rathyatra processions across the state are sensitive which includes Ahmedabad Rural’s Dholka and Viramgam processions,” Pathak stated.
“Other sensitive processions are in Vadodara city, Bhavnagar city, Petlad in Anand, Bharuch and Ankleshwar cities, Bilimora in Navsari, Kalol in Gandhinagar, Modasa and Idar in Sabarkantha, Patan and Siddhpur in Patan and Palanpur, Deesa and Tharad in Banaskantha districts,” he said.
A CAPF company will also be deployed in Vadodara and Bhavnagar cities, while four CAPF companies will be in reserve for Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar keeping in mind the huge gathering of people in these cities, Pathak added.
The State Government has also asked the Armed forces to remain on alert.
Jagannath Rathayatra is taken out on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya every year. After Gujarat Chief Minister performs the `Pahindvidhi’ at the Jagganath Temple in Jamalpur here in the morning, the procession is led by 15 to 20 decked-up elephants, followed by trucks of religious floats and athletes from `akhadavalas’ performing aerobatics.
The procession culminates at Saraspur, where the local people feed the entire entourage of devotees, before it winds its way back to the temple in the evening. (PTI)
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