Kumbh Mela 2025: Over 7.3 crore pilgrims have taken a dip at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, in the first six days of Kumbh Mela. Uttar Pradesh government is expecting over 45 crore devotees to attend the world's biggest spiritual gathering- Mahakumbh. On January 18, over 10 lakhs Kalpvasis and 9.84 lakhs pilgrims took a dip at the Triveni Sangam till 10 am.
Administration managing crowd
With an expected footfall of over 45 crore devotees, the UP government and Prayagraj administration are ensuring to keep up with the security and managing the crowd. The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) is playing a key role in managing such huge influx and surveillance.
The ICCC played an important role in managing the massive crowd on the first day of the Maha Kumbh, specifically during the "Paush Purnima Snan" and "Amrit Snan" on Makar Sankranti.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Kumar, the in-charge of the ICCC, said 2,750 cameras have been installed. The cameras monitor not only the fair area, but also the entire city, he added. "Surveillance is conducted from three angles: security, crowd management and crime prevention. With the cameras, we can monitor aspects like crowd flow, surveillance and fire safety.
For crowd management, we track the flow of people, where the crowd is concentrated and how to regulate it. This technique helps us direct the crowd to areas with less congestion," Amit Kumar said.
To ensure the law and order in the city between this period, Prayagraj administration on Friday issued prohibitory orders in the district till February 28. As per the official orders, the Additional Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj announced prohibitory orders under Section 163 to prevent any possible disruption of law and order in the district.
Most crowd is expected on 'Amrit Snan' dates. Most significant 'snan' dates include January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), February 3 (Basant Panchami), February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivaratri).
(With agency inputs)