Police of Uttarakhand and other northern states will keep a hawk’s eye on Kanwad devotees this season starting from July 20.

As the devotees influx is likely to cross four crore, their movements will be monitored through CCTV cameras and drones while use of DJs will be on police radar in residential areas, near hospitals and schools.

This was decided in the Interstate and Inter Agencies Coordination meeting on Monday evening in Dehradun. Senior police officials from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, CRPF, Railways and Intelligence Bureau have decided to keep a strict watch over the Kawad Yatra and have better coordination and communication in sharing information among interstate police and Agencies.

Cops in their respective states will monitor the movements of Kanwad pilgrims through CCTV cameras and drones to prevent any untoward incident. Apart from this, social media contents on Kanwad Yatra will also be a focus area for the police in order to take remedial steps against misleading information.

Sharing the details, Uttarakhand police informed that monitoring of social media will be done as its contents at times lead to misleading and false propaganda during Kanwar Yatra.

“Apart from monitoring through CCTV cameras and drones, all seven states have been urged to focus on social media monitoring and quick sharing of misleading propaganda and rumours pertaining to the Kanwad Yatra. This was done to verify the authenticity of the contents and take remedial steps,” said SSP Haridwar Parmendra Singh Dobhal when contacted.

Dobhal stated that during the Yatra, devotees will have to carry their identity cards as well. He further informed that the number of Kanwad devotees has been increasing hugely every year for the past 15-20 years. “This year, it may cross the four crore- mark footfalls in 2023. As a result, the complete Kanwad area has been divided into 14 super zones, 36 zones and 130 sectors.

”Nearly 7,000 policemen will be deployed to man the Kanwad Yatra in Haridwar and adjoining areas,” added the SSP Haridwar.

Devotees will also not be allowed to carry Kanwads more than seven feet in height or travel on the trains’ roofs. Cops will also keep track of use of DJs near residential places, especially close to the houses of senior citizens, hospitals and schools.

Police officials stated that a verification drive of the people working in the Kanwar Yatra routes and camps. Kanwad Yatra devotees will also move on separate routes from that of Chardham pilgrimage.

The Interstate Police meet also decided to hold joint checking and tracking of suspicious elements and vehicles along interstate borders and at entry barriers and check posts.