BHUBANESWAR: An inter-agency coordination meeting on security arrangements for the annual Rath Yatra in Puri was held between state and central security forces here on June 19.
DGP Dr RP Sharma, who presided over the meeting, said, “Two companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) will arrive here for the festival from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) headquarters. Similarly, we have requested National Security Guard (NSG) to keep its detachment ready in Hyderabad.”
Railway Protection Force (RPF) is mobilising additional manpower to manage the rush of devotees at Puri railway station and its personnel will work in close coordination with Government Railway Police (GRP) and local police.
Similarly, NDRF will deploy one team which will be divided into three groups to tackle any case of emergency.
Adequate lifeguards will also be deployed to avoid incidents of drowning on Puri beach.
This apart, sufficient ambulances will be kept on standby to shift injured persons to hospitals.
“We will have an integrated control room where officials of the agencies in charge of Rath Yatra security will remain present. It will be set up at Town police station in Puri,” Dr Sharma said.
The CCTV cameras, which were badly damaged in the extremely severe cyclone Fani, pose a major challenge to the police.
“We have already replaced some CCTV cameras installed on the premises of Srimandir. Hopefully, we will have a robust CCTV system at Bada Danda (Grand Road) before Rath Yatra,” the DGP said.
Odisha Police will also request the Centre to restrict movement of low-flying objects up to 11,000 feet over Bada Danda and Jagannath Temple during the car festival.
Among others, officials of Border Security Force (BSF), Indian Navy, Coast Guard and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were present.