The district administration has set into motion a comprehensive action plan envisaging a slew of inter-departmental initiatives to enable pilgrims to take a holy dip in the Godavari in a hassle-free manner during the 12-day mega festival.
District-level officials have been appointed as in-charges for all the nine pushkar bathing ghats – three ghats in Bhadrachalam, two in Parnashala in Dummugudem mandal, one each at Kondaigudem and Chinaravigudem in Manuguru mandal and one at Mothe in Burgumpadu mandal and one at Ramachandrapuram in Venkatapuram mandal. Over 3,000 police personnel from the armed reserve and other wings of the police department have been drafted for bandobust duty during the 12-day event in the district.
As many as two Additional SPs, 15 DSPs, 60 CIs, and 28 SIs, 525 ASIs/Head Constables and 1,400 constables besides personnel from NDRF will render their services during the mega river festival in the district. Around 2,500 temporary and permanent toilets were constructed at the pushkar pilgrim sites at a cost of Rs. 1.40 crore.
Arrangements are in place to distribute 17 lakh drinking water sachets and supply drinking water through taps and tankers at the pilgrim sites. As many as 222 doctors and 615 paramedical staff will be pressed into service during the 12-day event in the district. Adequate stocks of medicines worth Rs 1.50 crore are kept ready for distribution among the needy during the festival. The authorities have devised elaborate crowd and traffic management plans in anticipation of a massive turnout of six to eight lakh pilgrims to the nine bathing ghats in the district each day during the 12-day event.
Bhadrachalam, the abode of Lord Sitaramachandra Swamy and Parnashala, the historic pilgrim centre in Dummugudem mandal, are likely to witness maximum rush of pilgrims, considering the relatively better water level in the Godavari at the two pilgrim sites.
As per the traffic management plan for Bhadrachalam, no private vehicle will be allowed to enter the temple town from five entry points, including the bridge across the Godavari, between Sarapaka and Bhadrachalam.
Spacious parking slots have been earmarked at designated sites a few kilometres away from the temple town on different directions. Free shuttle buses will be operated by the TSRTC between parking slots and the temple town at regular intervals, official sources said.
Source: The Hindu