Bhubaneswar, July 14: The cops today chalked out security and crowd management plans for Nabakalebar with director-general of police Sanjeev Marik saying that there would be a multi-layered security arrangement in Puri for the grand festival.
Marik said 164 platoons of forces, including those from the Centre, would be deployed for crowd management, law and order and security purposes in and around the town.
"We have divided the town in zones and made separate security arrangements for different areas. We have separate arrangement for inside and outside the temple, for different chariots, for the crowd outside the cordon of the chariots, for crowd movement inside the lanes and roads in the town. Besides, there would be arrangement for security on the beach and in the sea," said Marik.
Along with the deployment of rapid action force (RPF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the cops have also strengthened intelligence collection. The officials said theanti-terrorist squad, dog squad and bomb disposal squad have been kept on standby. Police in civil clothes will also keep vigil on the crowd. Around 200 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras would keep watch on the crowd.
Both the marine police and coast guard would keep vigil on the beach. An the railway station, both Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) will remain on alert and manage the crowd.
There would be 45 platoons of police force deployed for traffic management in the town. Besides, traffic related information would be available on the Facebook page of Puri police, in the mobile app and on the Puri police website.
The building of chariots has reached the last stage. The carpenters said only some colouring work was left and this will be complete within a day or two.
The khali lagi ritual of the deities was carried out today in which a group of servitors, known as soddha suars took special khali to the temple. This khali would be smeared on the bodies of the deities who recovered from their prolonged illness yesterday.
The banak lagi rituals would be carried out tomorrow and day after.
