Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Simhastha is going to held in the year 2028. It is projected that there will be a need of around 50k police personnel to secure Simhastha Mela, officials said here on Monday. The DGP to hold review meeting on preparations on Wednesday.
In 2016 the Simhastha Mela was organised and around 23,500 police personnel were deputed to secure the event. IG intelligence Anshuman Singh told Free Press that the situation and condition had changed since then. Now Mahakal Lok had been instituted and lakhs of people are visiting there. When the Simhastha Mela will be organised people will visit the Lok. He added that the force will be collected from district units across the state.
SAF, home guards and other forces will be deputed, but the number which we needed may not be fulfilled. ‘The state will borrow forces from Government of India and also from other states for security purpose’, he said. It is also predicted that around 20pc of visitors will camp in the Mela. Their security and safety will be a concern for the police.
INSET
Equipment needed
A command and control centre will be established. Police to use ultra-modern gadgets to secure the Mela as well as to help devotes visiting the Mela area. Police will use drones to keep eye on the crowd as well as CCTVs, stoppers, barricades, fire tenders, rope and many other equipment. Some permanent structures will be raised and some temporary ones will be needed to provide accommodation to these 50k personnel for more than one-and-a-half month.
Other places are also centres of attraction
People are not only going to visit Ujjain, they will also visit Omkarashwar, Maheshwar and Sehore at Kubereshwar Dham. Extra forces will be needed to secure these areas.
Team to visit Kumbh site for study
A team will visit Kumb Mela site which will be held next month in Uttar Pradesh. The team will study the methodology adopted by UP Police in security arrangements.
Support of organisations
Social organisations will support the arrangements during the Mela. Arrangements like ‘Lost and Found’ will be established at four places in the Mela area. This centre may be controlled by social organisations.
