Hola Mohalla: 5,000 police personnel, 21 parking spaces, shuttle services for convenience of devotees at Sri Anandpur Sahib
Chandigarh, February 27
To ensure foolproof arrangements for the upcoming festival of Hola Mohalla at Sri Anandpur Sahib as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Special Director General of Police Law and Order, Arpit Shukla, on Thursday, reviewed the security arrangements at the spot to ensure that the event would be conducted in a smooth and secure manner.
The three-day-long annual Sikh festival Hola Mohalla will be held at Sri Anandpur Sahib from March 2 to March 4.
Chairing a coordination meeting with Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Rupnagar Range Nanak Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rupnagar Maninder Singh, Special DGP Arpit Shukla directed that foolproof arrangements should be made to facilitate lakhs of devotees from across the globe, who will gather to pay obeisance at the birthplace of Khalsa Panth.
Notably, the entire area has been systematically divided into 12 sectors, and a total force of around 5000 police personnel has been deployed to ensure the safety and security of the devotees. For aerial surveillance and crowd monitoring, six drones have been deployed, whose live feed will be monitored at the central control room.
Special DGP Arpit Shukla, while briefing all the sector in-charges and police force deployed, directed them to adopt the utmost humble approach towards the sangat and work with full dedication and determination to make this event successful.
Reviewing the security arrangements, he said that many new initiatives have been implemented by the Rupnagar Police to ensure the peaceful and smooth conduct of the Hola Mohalla so that the pilgrims would not face any kind of hassle.
The Special DGP said that a total of 21 parking areas, categorised by capacity, have been earmarked, and a colour-coding scheme for parking and routes will be implemented to guide devotees. For the convenience of the pilgrims, 24x7 shuttle services, including 100 e-rickshaws and 50 mini-buses, will operate from the parking areas, he said.
He further added that QR-code-based information systems have been installed at various locations to help pilgrims access details regarding shuttle bus services, parking points, hospital locations, and other essential facilities.
The Special DGP said that around 200 CCTV cameras, including PTZ and ANPR cameras, have been installed to cover city approach roads to get real-time information on traffic inflow, alongside 24x7 live surveillance through the CCTV Control Room at Police Station Anandpur Sahib. For the first time, a three-layer barricading system is being implemented for effective crowd management at the Charan Ganga Stadium, he added.
The festival of Hola Mohalla is a symbol of the Chardhikala of the Punjabis in general and the Sikh community in particular, which witnesses huge participation of the people from different walks of life on the holy land of Sri Anandpur Sahib during the festival.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who attends every year, the traffic and parking used to be a nightmare. 21 designated parking lots with colour coding and e-rickshaws? This is a game-changer. Hope the execution on ground is as good as the plan.
It's heartening to see such detailed arrangements for a peaceful festival. The three-layer barricading at the stadium is smart for crowd control. My only suggestion: please ensure enough clean drinking water and sanitation facilities are available for the lakhs of devotees.
Good to see tech being used - drones, QR codes, ANPR cameras. This is how modern governance should support ancient traditions. Hope other states take note for managing their large festivals.
Visiting from Canada for Hola Mohalla for the first time. This article is reassuring! The shuttle service info via QR code will be very helpful for international visitors like me who aren't familiar with the area. Looking forward to experiencing the festival.
The scale is mind-boggling. Lakhs of people, 12 sectors, 5000 police... It's like managing a small city for 3 days. Kudos to the planners. The directive for police to have a "humble approach" is particularly important. The spirit of the festival must be maintained.
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