Uttarakhand: Over 5,500 police personnel deployed ahead of Kanwar Yatra, area divided into zones, super zones

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], July 21 (ANI): Ahead of the Kanwar Yatra 2024, which is scheduled to start on Monday, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Haridwar Parmendra Dobhal said that the entire Kanwar Mela area has been divided into 14 super zones and 35 zones.
He said that over 5,500 police personnel have been deployed in this Kanwar Mela, and apart from this, a plan for route diversion has also been kept in it for crowd management.
Speaking exclusively to ANI, the SSP said, "Police officers have been deployed in 132 sectors, which include central security forces as well as police officers. Police is ready for traffic control and crowd management.
It is worth mentioning here that RAF and other forces are deployed in the Haridwar Mela area in view of security.
The Uttar Pradesh Police said on Saturday that all preparations for the Shravan Shivratri festival have been successfully completed. They expressed confidence that the festival would be conducted smoothly.
"In the context of the upcoming Sawan Shivratri festival, a final phase meeting was held today. Officers from the neighbouring districts of Delhi were also invited and participated in this inter-departmental meeting. All preparations have been completed successfully, and we are confident that the festival of Shravan Shivratri will be conducted smoothly. All aspects, including security, cleanliness, and other necessary arrangements, were discussed in the inter-departmental meeting," ASP Manish Kumar Mishra told ANI.
Shravan Shivratri is a holy Hindu festival, solely dedicated to Lord Shiva. During this auspicious month of Saawan, Lord Shiva is worshipped all over the country.
It is believed that Lord Shiva got married to Parvati on this day. During the month of Shravan, devotees of Lord Shiva, keep a fast every Monday to seek his blessings. While married women wish for a happy marital life, unmarried women pray for a suitable life partner, just like Lord Shiva.
The month of Shravan is famous for the Kanwar Yatra; devotees bring Ganga Jal and offer it to Lord Shiva on the day of Shivratri. Shravan Shivratri falls in the month of July or August every year.
Shravan Shivratri is celebrated with much fervour and enthusiasm in North Indian states like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar. Temples across North India perform puja and shiva darshan during Sawan month. (ANI)