look news india
The Kanwar Yatra of the holy month of Shravan is going to start from 30th July, which will conclude with Jalabhishek on 11th August on the day of Shravan Shivratri. During this time, lakhs of devotees from all over the country reach Haridwar, Rishikesh and Gangotri Dham on foot or in vehicles, bring the holy Ganga water and perform Jalabhishek of Lord Bholenath in their local Shiva temples. To ensure safe and peaceful conduct of the Yatra, police of border districts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi have made elaborate security arrangements. There is a complete ban on heavy DJ setups, operation of any kind of weapons and non-vegetarian shops on the pilgrimage routes.
What to do and what not to do during travel?
The administration has issued guidelines for the convenience and safety of Kanwariyas and camp organisers. It is mandatory for all the devotees to always carry their valid identity card (ID Proof) during the journey. An appeal has been made to the devotees to use only the Kanwar route prescribed and safe by the administration. At the same time, carrying hockey sticks, baseball bats, sticks, swords or any kind of weapon during the journey is completely prohibited. Use of modified silencers and loud pressure horns on two-wheelers will be prohibited. It has been made mandatory for the camp organizers to make arrangements for CCTV cameras, fire fighting equipment and adequate lighting along the route. Apart from this, it has been advised to check the fixed rate list before taking food or water in dhabas and hotels.
Rules set in cities regarding height of DJ and Kanwar
The limit of Kanwar and DJ sound has been fixed in various districts. Baghpat Police has fixed the maximum height of Kanwar and DJ setup at 10 feet and width at 12 feet. Along with this, the sound level of DJ and sound system should not exceed 75 decibels. In the coordination meeting held under the chairmanship of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar in Agra, the maximum height of Kanwar has been fixed at 12 feet and instructions have been given to keep the sound of the DJ within the prescribed standards. All meat shops on Kanwar routes and around major Shiva temples will remain completely closed during the Yatra period.
Heavy traffic jam on Hastinapur-Chandpur road due to NH-58 diversion in Meerut
In view of the Kanwar Yatra, the movement of heavy vehicles on NH-58 in Meerut has been completely stopped between July 28 and August 10. As an alternative, trucks and heavy commercial vehicles are being diverted through the narrow road of Hastinapur Khadar area. Due to this new diversion, there is hours long traffic jam on Hastinapur-Chandpur road. Due to poor road condition and heavy traffic, local residents, traders, farmers and school going children are facing a lot of trouble. Local people have demanded the administration to deploy additional traffic police on this route.
Complete plan for route diversion in various cities and highways
-
Muzaffarnagar (NH-58): The entry of heavy vehicles will be completely closed from midnight of 29th July to 12th August. Till August 4, one lane of the highway will be reserved for Kanwariyas, while after August 4, both the lanes will be reserved only for Kanwariyas.
-
Haridwar: Vehicles coming from Saharanpur, Delhi, Meerut and Yamunanagar will be stopped at Mandawar and Dr. A.P.J. Will be sent to Bairagi Camp parking via Abdul Kalam Chowk.
-
Dehradun-Rishikesh route: Vehicles will be diverted towards Chamgad Tapu and Laljiwala parking via Nepali Tiraha and Dudhadhari flyover. There will be a ban on movement of Kanwar vehicles on Delhi-Dehradun Expressway.
-
Delhi-NCR border districts: Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr and Gautam Buddha Nagar police are working in coordination with each other. Official WhatsApp groups have been created to provide real-time traffic updates and additional emergency parking has been arranged.
Strict guidelines for food shops and dhabas
The Food Safety Department has started intensive checking of hotels, dhabas and restaurants located on the yatra routes. About 130 eating establishments are being investigated in Hapur district alone. According to Archana Dheeran, Food Safety Assistant Commissioner in Muzaffarnagar, use of non-veg food, onion and garlic will be completely banned in all the eateries located on Kanwar Marg. Six teams of the Food Safety Department are investigating stale and adulterated food. To prevent overcharging from devotees, the prices of 21 essential food items have been fixed at the government level. It is mandatory for all shops to display proprietor information, license number and food-safety QR code. Also, it has been made mandatory for the staff preparing and serving food to wear hand gloves.