Ensuring food, water safety and security: UP gears up for Kanwar Yatra

Ahead of the annual Kanwar Yatra beginning with the start Hindu holy Shravan month on July 11, elaborate security arrangements have been made across 840 Kanwar routes in different districts of Uttar Pradesh, which nearly stretch over of 12,535 km, leading to around 4,556 'Shivalayas' (Shiv temples) where around an estimated 4 crore devotees will offer water fetched from 322 different rivers and ghats across the state, said senior police officials on Tuesday.

- HT Correspondents

They said the force deployment has also been made at around 314 spots where 'Sawan Melas' will be organised during this period. The yatra will end on July 23.

On Tuesday, state chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and director general of police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna met senior officials from western Uttar Pradesh in Meerut and four other bordering states including Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan to strategise on ensuring a safe and successful pilgrimage. The officials from neighbouring states were also urged to issue ID cards to the Kanwar pilgrims from their respective regions.