Elaborate security for Kanwar yatra

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 1

The Uttarakhand Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the Kanwar Yatra that commenced today. Since Kanwariyas are expected to arrive in a large number, the Haridwar and Dehradun police have made traffic diversion plans.

Additional police force has been deployed along the yatra route to avoid any untoward incident. The yatra will reach its crescendo next week onwards.

Since Kanwariyas are expected to arrive in Haridwar from neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and New Delhi to collect Ganga water, the police have placed barricades on inter-state borders to keep a check on the yatris.

IGP, Garhwal, Sanjay Gunjyal said the police and the district administration were well prepared to ensure smooth conduct of the yatra. The police had held several meetings with tour operators, hotel owners, district administration officials, and business association members to invite their suggestions and to enlist their cooperation.

Gunjyal said bomb disposal squads, and sniffer dogs would be deployed at sensitive points along the yatra route. Kanwariyas would use a separate route along the Ganga canal to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the Dehradun-New Delhi and the Haridwar-New Delhi national highway.

With a possibility of many pilgrims going to Muni-ki-Reti and Shivalik to collect Ganga water, the Pauri police have been instructed to beef up security measures.

Dehradun SSP Pushpak Jyoti has denied any specific report of terrorist attack threat during the Kanwar yatra, but he said elaborate security arrangements had been made.

He said Kanwariyas would not be allowed to go to Mussoorie or other tourist spots under no circumstances. Station house officers had been instructed to take swift action against those, who try to break law or create a ruckus in any part of the city.