Elaborate security arrangements for Nabakalebara Rath Yatra

With the Nabakalebara Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri likely to be attended by about 30 lakh devotees on Saturday, Odisha police has drawn up elaborate plans for the mega event, the state's top cop said.
"Odisha Police maintains zero tolerance to any breach of arrangement made for the safety of pilgrims ... We have trained personnel to coordinate law and order with traffic management in order to avoid possible stampede during the festival," Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Marik said today while addressing security personnel at Puri.
To deal with possible terror attack the police has deployed a total 10,000 personnel to deal with possible terror attacks, Marik said.

The mega event is expected to draw about 30 lakh devotees to the holy town on Saturday.
A total 14 superintendents of police, 35 additional superintendents of police, 80 deputy superintendents of police, 109 inspectors, 641 sub-inspectors, 500 constables, 120 traffic constables and havildars, 2570 home guards, three platoons of Rapid Action Force, two companies of special operation group (SOG) are part of the mammoth arrangement, he said.
Also deployed are two companies of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, personnel of Coast Guards, Navy, intelligence wing personnel, bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs.

This apart, personnel from Coast Guard and Navy would also undertake patrolling in the sea in order to avoid possible influx of terrorists into the holy town, he said.

Marik said all vehicles entering Puri town are being frisked and hotels have been asked to keep to vigil on the arrival of any suspicious persons in the holy town.
People have been requested to inform police if they come across any suspected objects, the DGP said.
The security arrangements of Rath Yatra have been further beefed up in view of the death of 27 people including 23 women in the stampede that broke out at Pushkar ghat on the banks of the Godavari River at Rajahmundry yesterday, the day one of 12-day festival Godavari Pushkaram.