31 lakh take dip in Ganga on Somwati Amavasya

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, October 12

Nearly 31.2 lakh pilgrims took a holy dip in the Ganga on Somwati Amavasya and Pitra Amavasya today. They also performed rituals along the ghats on the last day of ‘shradhs’.

Elaborate security arrangements were in place in the mela area. SSP Senthil A Krishan Raj personally monitored the proceedings. Earlier, he also got stuck in a traffic jam and later reached the mela zone on a motorcycle.

The core mela zone was divided into 12 zones and 35 sectors.

Mela force comprising 12 DSPs, 26 SHOs,104 SIs, 93 head constables, 504 constables, 93 women constales, four traffic SIs, 21 traffic head constables, a company of the Provincial Armed Constabulary, Jal Police squad, mounted cavalry squad and a bomb disposal squad was deployed across the city.

The administration had created temporary parking lots to avoid inconvenience to commuters as well as pilgrims.