Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has requested the Centre for two units of National Security Guard (NSG) to combat any kind of emergency and make security foolproof for rath yatra. The festival is scheduled for July 14 to July 25.

After reviewing the preparedness of the state police force at his camp office, Odisha director-general of police R.P. Sharma said: "We have urged the Centre to send the NSG team. They will be positioned near Puri so that their service can be utilised in emergencies."

The police also plan to deploy 145 armed platoons keeping in mind the huge influx of tourists. Besides, 1,000 officers from the ranks of sub-inspector to deputy superintendents from across the state will be mobilised to Puri. They will keep a close watch on the movement of suspicious elements. "Roping in officers from various districts help intelligence gathering," said a senior officer.

Besides the armed police platoons and the NSG, the state police also aim to deploy two units each of the Rapid Action Force, Odisha Swift Action Force, Special Tactical Unit and one unit each of the National Disaster Response Force and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force in Puri. Besides these units, 200 home guards will also be deployed and CCTV cameras installed at major squares to ensure free traffic flow. The entire district will be divided into four zones and 28 sectors. About 400 lifeguards will be deployed in the beach to prevent untoward incidents.

Sharma said security arrangements for rath yatra were at its final stages. "The objective of the meeting is to bring coordination among police officers who have been assigned with different duties." Different issues and challenges faced during the festival were discussed at the meeting.

"We have assigned the task of temple security, traffic management, crowd management and contingency plan to senior police officers. Additional director general (provisioning) Satyajit Mohanty is in charge of all the arrangements. All police officers and forces will reach Puri by July 10th," Sharma said.

"The Puri temple is under threat from terrorists. It is a highly sensitive place. We are aware of it and make security arrangements accordingly," said a senior police officer.