In just six days of the Mahakumbh, over 7 crore devotees, Kalpavasis and revered sants have taken a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam.

The UP government estimates that this time, more than 45 crore people will attend the Mahakumbh. With such a massive influx of devotees, the security of the crowd is a major challenge for the Mahakumbh Police.

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However, the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), set up in the fair area, is proving to be a boon in managing the crowd. It not only helps in controlling the huge influx of devotees but also plays a key role in various types of surveillance.

ICCC played an important role in managing the massive crowd during the first day of the Mahakumbh, specifically during the Paush Purnima Snan festival and the Amrit Snan on Makar Sankranti.

SP Amit Kumar, the in-charge of ICCC, said here on Friday that 2,750 cameras have been installed, which monitor not only the fair area but also the entire city. Surveillance is conducted from three angles: security, crowd management, and crime prevention.

He explained, “With the cameras, we can monitor aspects like crowd flow, surveillance, and fire safety. For crowd management, we track the flow of people, where the crowd is concentrated, and how to regulate it. This technique helps us to direct the crowd to areas with less congestion.”

In addition to crowd management, the cameras also aid in fire surveillance. “We monitor for any signs of smoke or flames,” said Amit Kumar. “Parking areas are also under constant surveillance. Cameras installed in each parking lot indicate whether they are full or empty. When a parking lot reaches its capacity, we close it and direct vehicles to the next available lot. The nearest parking is filled first to minimise walking distance for the bathers.”

He further explained that there are seven main routes connecting Prayagraj to other cities. With this in mind, parking arrangements have been strategically made in all directions to ensure smooth traffic flow and accommodate the influx of visitors during the events.

SP Kumar emphasised the significant role of AI cameras, which help in decision-making, though he clarified that they are not completely relied upon. “AI cameras increase our capacity to manage crowd control, which is unprecedented at such a large scale. Our forces are trained institutionally, but having data-based evidence helps further enhance our skills.” He explained that there are four ICCC units in the fair area. In case of an emergency, another unit can be used for better coordination and monitoring.

He further mentioned that cameras have been installed at all critical and sensitive locations within the fair area, including ghats, major roads, and bridges. “These cameras provide us with real-time information on crowd movement and help assess the crowd density at key locations like the Sangam. The cameras help us understand how people gather during such events, and we can monitor areas with higher crowd densities, such as at the ghats, while other areas remain less crowded,” he said.