Cops conduct survey of more Kumbh routes

NASHIK: Senior police officials on Thursday conducted a survey of three important routes connecting the city to identify problems that could hamper the flow of pilgrims while entering or leaving the city during the upcoming Kumbh Mela.
The officials who conducted the survey included deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Avinash Bargal (Zone I), DCP Vijay Patil (Zone II), assistant commissioners of police (ACP) Hemraj Rajput, Ravindra Wadekar, Pankaj Dahane and other officials.
The officials surveyed the routes joining the city from Dhule, Aurangabad and Pune. ACP Dahane (crime), who is also in-charge of the police commisisonerate's Kumbh Mela cell, said, "The aim of the survey was to identify problems, if any, that could pose an impediment to the flow of pilgrims during the Kumbh."
Other officials said they checked the inner as well as outer parking areas identified for the Kumbh. The people coming by road would park their vehicles in the outer parking lots, take a city bus from there to reach the inner parking lot and then walk till the bathing areas to take a holy dip in the river during the simhastha parvanis.
While conducting the survey, the officials also got familiarized with the routes, the parking lots, the ground realities at these routes and checked the things that could affect the flow of pilgrims. ACP Dahane said, "We have identified the problems at our level and the concerned issues would be brought to the notice of the departments."
While a large number of people prefer taking a holy dip in the river at Ramkund, in view of the rush, people would also take a bath in other ghat areas.
The city police have conducted a range of activities to get the police personnel acquainted with the different parts of the city for ensuring a good bandobast during the Kumbh. Apart from this, various workshops have also been conducted for them on crowd management considering that 39 people had lost their lives during the last kumbh in Nashik in the stampede, while 36 people were killed at the Allahadbad railway station at the recent Kumbh there.