NDRF Director General Piyush Anand highlights the extensive preparedness efforts made for the Maha Kumbh Mela
New Delhi: The National Disaster Response Force’s (NDRF) Director General, Piyush Anand, emphasized the massive preparations for the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Thursday.
Speaking to the media report, Anand underlined that authorities are prepared to handle any emergency because 20 NDRF teams have been deployed and thorough training has been given to a number of agencies, including the Uttar Pradesh Police, Railways, and DRDO.
“Our 20 teams, who have received intensive training, are stationed in the Maha Kumbh. A single agency cannot manage this event alone due to its size. We visited the area and held training sessions for the UP police and railways, among others. Additionally, the state government, DRDO, and Railways are supporting us. We are ready because all these agencies are working together,” he stated.
He added that compared to Makar Sankranti, more people are anticipated for “Shahi Snan” on Mauni Amavasya.
Nearly three crore people reportedly swam on Makar Sankranti, and more are anticipated to attend on Mauni Amavasya. We have arranged training and mock drills for this, in which all agencies have collaborated to get ready for such situations,” Anand stated.
The NDRF chief further emphasized that there is a very significant chance of water disasters anywhere there is a body of water.
“The staff members there, known as the ‘Naviks,’ are very skilled swimmers, but we have determined that without the right training, swimming skills alone cannot save lives. To make sure they can react appropriately in any circumstance, we have trained 1,300 boat operators. In order to get to the site and respond fast, we have bought 40 horsepower boats this time,” Piyush Anand stated.
“The potential for chemical, biological, and nuclear (CBN) threats is an additional danger. For this reason, we have sent out four CPRN teams,” he continued.
On Thursday morning, the fourth day of the 45-day Maha Kumbh, thousands of devotees gathered at Triveni Sangam here to take a sacred dip.
The largest religious gathering in the world has attracted over 6 crore followers, with over 3.5 crore attending Makar Sankranti on January 14.
The Prayagraj government has set up an AI-based digital lost and found center in response to the enormous number of pilgrims.
January 13 marked the start of Maha Kumbh, which will last through February 26. January 29 (Mauni Amavasya, Second Shahi Snan), February 3 (Basant Panchami, Third Shahi Snan), February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivaratri) are the following important bathing dates.
