Puri, July 19: Lessons learnt from the past and some necessary measures in preparedness helped the state government ensure a smooth car festival barring a few unfortunate incidents.

Around 15 lakh people turned out on the Grand Road here to witness the annual event. A large number of people visited the temple town today to witness the last phase of the pulling of the chariots.

Though the religious fever was at fever pitch with cries of Jai Jagannath rending the air throughout yesterday, no major untoward incidents took place. The servitors also co-operated with the district administration and all the rituals of Lord Jagannath were conducted with clarity and most of the devotees also got the opportunity to see the Lord and His siblings sitting atop the chariots.

With the help of the central forces, the state police managed to keep a tab on the crowd. It also managed the movement of the VIPs to the inner cordon of the chariots and temple premises. Barring only one incident, when the Puri superintendent of police Ashish Singh got into a scuffle with the ruling BJD's Begunia MLA Prashant Jagdev, everything was in order.

The installation of over 200 CCTVs and constant announcements that the police was keeping a close watch on unruly elements also helped the administration.

The 33-shelter centres and 15 information centres located in different parts of the temple town helped the administration to manage the crowd. The free kitchen centres located at different parts of Puri with the help of the administration, also took great care of the hungry devotees.

Dozens of ambulances, along with doctors and volunteers, helped the administration evacuate people who collapsed because of exhaustion. The efficient ambulance service also ensured that the stampede toll did not rise.

In spite of the heavy rainfall last night, it failed to dampen the spirit of the devotees. When the Grand Road was flooded with drain water, hundreds of officials of the Odisha State Disaster Rapid Action Force stationed at strategic locations in the town cleared out the water within an hour.

The presence of a large number of NGOs helped manage the crowd better and provide them facilities they required. The temporary toilet arrangements also helped the devotees have a comfortable stay in Puri.

The improved road network meant that traffic flow was easy and there were less congestion. The government also put a number of hoardings at strategic locations guiding people to the temporary shelters and parking plots. The posters could be spotted right from the new bus-stand at Maltipatpur, which is around eight kilometres from Puri town. Arrangements made on the sea beach were equally efficient.