District administration to take tech route

NASHIK: The district administration plans to use more technology in organizing the Nashik Kumbh on the lines of the Ujjain Kumbh in Madhya Pradesh, said Deependra Singh Kushwah, Nashik collector.
The collector, who was in Ujjain – which will be hosting the Kumbh next year – along with other senior officials, on Wednesday said that technology is playing a vital role in the organization of Ujjain Kumbh.
“Nashik has a population of 18 lakh and the Kumbh is being held in the heart of the city during the rainy season. The situation is very different from Ujjain, which has a population of 5 lakh and Kumbh will be held outside the city during summer. However, we will implement all their best practices,” Kushwah said.
The collector said, “Technology is playing a major role in helping out in crowd control and management, disaster management and many other applications. We will also seek the state’s contribution on the same.”
He said that the planning in Madhya Pradesh started three years back and they had a detailed project report. “They are way ahead when it comes to planning,” he added.
Kushwah said that the Madhya Pradesh government has set aside a budget of Rs 73 crore against Maharashtra’s Rs 8 crore and had deployed their emissaries in 80 countries to appeal to people to come to Ujjain. “This is not possible in Nashik given the space constraints. At Ujjain, they have a special area marked for tourists, who could stay even for a month, but at Nashik, we will not be able to host them for this long period,” he said.
The collector, however, expressed his satisfaction at the pace of work being executed at Nashik by various government agencies.