The Uttar Pradesh authorities is gearing up for the largest human congregation on earth– the Mahakumbh 2025. A number of state businesses, together with one of many largest police forces on this planet – the Uttar Pradesh police – are gearing as much as present a secure and incident-free occasion that may begin on January 13 with the Paush Poornima Snan. The Mahakumbh is deeply rooted in Hindu mythology and stands because the world’s largest collective act of religion.
‘No VIP culture at Mahakumbh, all will have to walk 1 km on normal days’: Prashant Kumar, U.P. DGP
In an unique dialog, HT spoke to Uttar Pradesh director normal of police (DGP) Prashant Kumar in regards to the state police preparedness for the occasion. Apart from giving particulars of pressure deployment and different measures for crowd administration, Kumar stated no VIP might be allowed to enter the Mahakumbh space on four-wheelers. Excerpts:
Q: How are the Uttar Pradesh Police addressing potential cyber safety threats in the course of the Mahakumbh, significantly in defending essential programs and safeguarding the information of hundreds of thousands of devotees?
A In cyber safety measures, other than opening a cyber police station within the Mahakumbh space for the primary time, the cyber cell of the Prayagraj Police Commissionerate is absolutely dedicated to curbing crimes associated to the occasion. Aside from this, the cyber threats which we envisage are being monitored by the cyber wing of the state police beneath extra director normal (ADG), Cyber Crime, Binod Kumar Singh in addition to Particular Process Pressure (STF). We’ve additionally roped within the nationwide businesses like CERT-IN. The Indian Pc Emergency Response Staff is an workplace inside the ministry of electronics and knowledge know-how of the federal government of India and is the nodal company to take care of cyber safety incidents, and I4C, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre is a authorities initiative to take care of cybercrime in India, in a coordinated and efficient method. It’s affiliated to the ministry of residence affairs, Authorities of India, for cyber patrolling and analyzing cyber safety community.
Q: How will aerial surveillance be deployed? What programs are in place to detect and neutralise rogue drones or different aerial threats?
A: In aerial surveillance and counter drone methods, other than regular CCTV cameras, greater than 2700 in quantity, we now have received many tethered drones across the Mahakumbh area at strategic factors. To counter rogue drones, we now have received anti-drone groups posted in a number of areas of the occasion website.
Q: How are the police guaranteeing the security of devotees in and across the water, and what rescue operations are in place?
A: We’ve a big contingent of ‘Jal Police’ with particular officers in addition to naval commandos for river route security. A lot of motorboats, 12 kilometres of deep-water barricading, river strains, jetties, underwater drones, sonar and specialist divers may also be deployed on the occasion. We’re additionally getting robotic boys to assist people who find themselves in misery in mid-river. NDRF and SDRF groups have been deployed for drowning and boat capsize-related contingencies.
Q: What revolutionary measures are being taken to handle and monitor the motion of hundreds of thousands of devotees and stop overcrowding or stampedes?
A: As many as 2700 CCTV cameras are working within the metropolis and the Mahakumbh space. Many of those have Synthetic Intelligence (AI) capabilities and parameters have been fed in them to present alerts concerning crowd density, crowd motion, crowd movement, barricade leaping, hearth and smoke alerts. It additionally contains computerized quantity plate recognition capabilities in order that we will handle parking in addition to estimate the variety of autos coming into into town and the Mahakumbh space.
There’s a state-of-the-art built-in command and management centre which has 4 wings — three within the Mahakumbh space and one in Prayagraj metropolis — to maintain around the clock watch on crowd administration. There are a number of diversion schemes for foot pilgrims in case of any emergency.
The 4000-hectare Mahakumbh space, together with 12 kilometres of ghats, might be manned by greater than 50,000 policemen. They embrace males from specialised state businesses like ATS, STF, PAC and central businesses like NSG, CAPF, and so on.
Furthermore, we now have 10 Digital Misplaced and Discovered Centres, which can help to find the misplaced individuals primarily children, aged and ladies, in addition to giving them care and relaxation for the interval until they’re reunited with their households. The CCTV cameras and the police stations and outposts of Mahakumbh space might be aiding the misplaced and located circumstances. We’re additionally getting ready a community for misplaced mobiles eventualities.
Q: What contingency plans are in place in case of emergencies, akin to pure disasters or stampedes? How will the police and different businesses reply to such conditions?
A: At the least 54 Normal Working Procedures (SOPs) have been drafted in case of emergencies of a number of varieties akin to hearth, stampedes, drowning, CBRN (Chemical Organic Radiological and Nuclear) accidents/assaults and so on. which might be operated from the ICCC to make sure immediate response. Companies like NDMA, NDRF, SDMA and SDRF have imparted specialised coaching to the police pressure.
Q: What particular preparations are being made for crowd administration?
A: Motion of autos and pilgrims on foot from seven routes to the Mahakumbh space and 9 railway stations of Prayagraj, in addition to air passengers through airport, has been charted guaranteeing completely different paths for every path. Information analytic strategies are being deployed to check the group density and crowd movement. Diversion plans and contingency schemes have been devised for simple motion of site visitors and pilgrims in addition to to keep away from overcrowding.
Q: What technique has been ready to counter VIP tradition?
A: No VIPs might be allowed to enter the Mahakumbh space on four-wheelers. All people must stroll for over one kilometre on regular days however should stroll for round three kilometres on necessary dates — ‘Shahi Snans’. Preparations have been made for parking of greater than 5 lakh autos in round 102 parking locations.
Q Are you able to inform us in regards to the coordination and collaboration between the Uttar Pradesh Police and different businesses, akin to NTRO, IB, NDRF, in getting ready for the Mahakumbh?
A: A number of conferences on the highest stage of the central and state authorities have been held. All central businesses, which have a bearing on the safety of Mahakumbh Mela- 2025, have been introduced on board. These specialised businesses will contribute by means of their experience within the area of intelligence, anti-terrorism, catastrophe administration and cyber safety.
Q: How is the police division working with different authorities businesses to make sure that the required infrastructure, akin to roads, bridges, and public amenities, is in place to help the huge inflow of devotees?
A: Common conferences are held on the highest stage of the state administration and the police division. Suggestions is taken on the progress of every infrastructure mission, guaranteeing that each one the main works are finalised on time.