Kanwar fair: Uttarakhand police seek adequate security in 6 states

With the annual Kanwar fair round the corner, Uttarakhand Police has sought adequate deployment of security personnel at sensitive locations in six states through which the 'kanwariyas' (Shiva devotees) pass.

"This year, the Kanwar fair coincides with the month of Ramzan and participation by youth in the event is going up every year. So sensitive locations along the route of the kanwariyas in all states be identified and adequate security forces deployed to prevent any untoward incident," Uttarakhand DGP BS Siddhu said while addressing the 10th Inter State and Inter Agency Coordination Meeting over the Kanwar fair, according to an official release.

Chaired by Siddhu, the meeting was held at the state police headquarters here in which senior police, ITBP, SSB, IB and GRP officials from six states-- Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Uttarakhand-- participated. The DGP emphasised on better coordination among the different agencies engaged in security arrangements for the Kanwar fair.

The fair will begin at Haridwar, Rishikesh and adjoining areas in Dehradun, Pauri and Tehri districts on July 13 and will go on till July  25. Siddhu said community kitchens should be set up only at places where they were set up last year and it should be ensured that their presence do not trouble commuters.

Setting up kitchens at sensitive places should be discouraged and steps should be taken to make dedicated alternative routes wherever possible for Kanwariyas so that highways are kept unclogged, he added.

For smooth conduct of the fair, one control room should be set up in each of the six states and they should be connected with a central control room at Haridwar, he said.

The control rooms should have the names and numbers of the nodal officers and exchange of information among them should be smooth, he said.

Public address system should be installed on the route so that rumours are not allowed to spread. On sensitive locations in all the states, emergency centres should be established, preferably close to a hospital, where ambulances, fire brigades and cranes are available to deal with any unforeseen situation, Siddhu said.

Security around railway platforms should also be beefed up with proper consultations with GRP and RPF, he said.