Haryana Police on Wednesday said adequate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of ongoing Kanwar Mela-2018 that began on July 28 and will continue upto August 9, 2018.

While stating this here today, additional director general of police (law and order) Mohd Akil said that all commissioners of police and district superintendents of police have been directed to ensure smooth ‘kanwar yatra’ by making elaborate arrangements for maintaining law and order as well as smooth traffic in their respective places of postings.

Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage to carry water from the Ganga and offer it to Lord Shiva. Akil said all commissioners of police and district superintendents of police have also been instructed to make available additional force in the districts concerned. The officers have been asked to make all kinds of arrangements so that kanwariyas do not face any inconvenience.

He said that meeting was also held with officers of Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand to ensure proper coordination that lead to smooth completion of yatra. Elaborate arrangements have also been made to segregate the movement of kanwariyas and other road users and to minimize inconvenience to the general public as well as devotees.

Akil said that it had also been directed to carry out intensive patrolling on all routes being used by the kanwarias in the state. Traffic jams must be avoided and camping or parking places must be located away from main roads with suitable security arrangements.

All the officers must ensure that the kanwar shivirs would be established at sufficient distance away from the road edge and the shivirs should be located on the same side on which kanwarias travel. In addition, they have also been instructed to ensure adequate arrangements for safety of security of female kanwarias.

He said that apart from keeping a watch on anti social elements, police would also plan alternate routes for traffic diversion, if required. Senior Police officers of Gurugram, Faridabad, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Rohtak, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Mewat and Palwal have been asked to put extra emphasis on the security and traffic arrangements during the yatra, he added.

The CM Manohar Lal Khattar had on Tuesday instructed the senior officers to complete all arrangements to ensure that the kanwaria pilgrims do not face any inconvenience.

He directed the officers to make arrangements regarding law and order, medical facility, availability of water and toilets, besides ensuring smooth traffic while deciding the routes for the pilgrims, known as kanwarias.