Lucknow, Jan 30 (Representative) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that a large number of devotees are gathered at all railway stations in Prayagraj, preparing to return home after completing their holy bath. The CM said that the ADG and the District Magistrate of Prayagraj must ensure the safe and smooth departure of every devotee. “It is our responsibility to facilitate their journey. To achieve this, seamless coordination with the railways must be maintained to ensure continuous train operations. Besides, extra buses from the Transport Corporation should be deployed to accommodate the rush,” he said. Following the unfortunate incident at Prayagraj Maha Kumbh on Mauni Amavasya, Yogi held a late-night video conference with senior police officers and district administration officials from multiple districts. In the presence of senior government officials, he issued crucial directives, emphasising the need for heightened vigilance and caution in the Maha Kumbh Mela area after reviewing updates from ADG and the District Magistrate of Prayagraj. He also sought updates from officials in Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mirzapur, and Chitrakoot regarding security and crowd management measures for incoming devotees. Besides, officials from districts bordering Prayagraj were instructed to maintain continuous coordination with the Prayagraj administration to ensure seamless management and public safety. During the meeting the CM said that holding areas have been established at border points to manage crowd pressure in the fair area. “Devotees should be allowed to proceed based on the prevailing situation. Arrangements for food and drinking water must be ensured at all holding areas so that no devotee faces any inconvenience. Additionally, uninterrupted electricity supply must be maintained at these locations,” he said.He said that the authorities in districts bordering Prayagraj must strictly enforce the directives issued from Prayagraj. “Patrolling should be increased and traffic should flow smoothly on all major routes, including Ayodhya-Prayagraj, Kanpur-Prayagraj, Fatehpur-Prayagraj, Lucknow-Pratapgarh-Prayagraj and Varanasi-Prayagraj. All return routes from Prayagraj should remain open and unobstructed at all times,” he said.
ogi said, “Traffic must remain smooth within the Maha Kumbh Mela area. Unnecessary halts should be avoided and crowd build-up must be prevented at all locations. There should be no traffic congestion on the roads. If street vendors are occupying pathways, they should be relocated to designated open areas to ensure the continuous flow of movement. No road should face a jam at any point. “He said that the next Amrit Snan is scheduled for Basant Panchami on February 3. “The Chief Secretary and Director General of Police should conduct a thorough review of the Maha Kumbh Mela arrangements on Thursday. Every aspect related to security and public convenience must be carefully examined to ensure seamless arrangements for Basant Panchami,” he said. He said that to further strengthen the Maha Kumbh arrangements, Ashish Goyal, who served as Divisional Commissioner of Prayagraj during Kumbh 2019 and Bhanu Goswami, former Vice Chairman of ADA, are being deployed. He said, “Additionally, five Special Secretary-level officers are being assigned to oversee operations. They will remain in Prayagraj until February 12 to assist in streamlining the arrangements. Moreover, the Superintendent of Police-level officers will also be deployed for enhanced management and security. “The CM said that lakhs of devotees visiting Maha Kumbh are also traveling to Varanasi and Ayodhya for darshan and worship, while many are heading to Chitrakoot and Mirzapur. “With a significant increase in footfall expected over the next two days, heightened vigilance is essential in these key cities. Continuous monitoring and precautionary measures must be ensured. Holding areas should be created to regulate the crowd flow, allowing movement as per the situation. Barricading should be used effectively, traffic management should be improved, and adequate parking arrangements must be in place,” he added.