UP gears up for Basant Panchami snan

The UP Government on Sunday said it had put into place a special crowd management plan, Operation Eleven, for the ‘Amrit Snan’ on Basant Panchami at Maha Kumbh, which will take place on Monday.

The heightened measures have been put in place in the wake of a stampede at Sangam on Mauni Amavasya, which claimed at least 30 lives and injured more than 60 persons.

The key measures under Operation Eleven would include strict enforcement of the one-way route; enhanced security at key locations like the New Yamuna Bridge; special monitoring at Shastri Bridge; crowd control measures at Tikarmafi Turn, GT Jawahar and Harshvardhan Chauraha; regulation of movement at bus and railway station; special bus operations in Jhunsi; and additional security and traffic control measures. Besides, extra forces have been deployed for the third Amrit Snan.

Meanwhile, the holy city of Ayodhya witnessed an overwhelming influx of devotees on Basant Panchami, with official estimates placing the gathering at over 15 lakh. The officials expect a similar influx to continue until the conclusion of the Kumbh Mela on February 28.