Odisha Deploys 12,000 Police and Drones for Puri Rath Yatra Security
Odisha Police has announced a comprehensive security plan for the annual Rath Yatra in Puri, scheduled for July 16. The event is expected to attract lakhs of devotees, and the security blueprint includes surveillance from land, water, and air, an official said on Wednesday.
The plan focuses on crowd control, traffic management, and emergency response on land, while drone and anti-drone systems will monitor aerial security. At sea, a joint patrolling arrangement involving the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and Odisha Police Maritime Station has been established. Quick response teams (QRTs) will be deployed on ships.
The security blueprint was shared during a coordination meeting on Tuesday, attended by agencies such as the CRPF, BSF, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Indian Coast Guard, and others. The meeting was chaired by Odisha Director General of Police Y B Khurania.
The meeting discussed deployment strategies for Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), National Security Guard (NSG) teams, and NSG QRTs. DGP Khurania directed the RPF and Indian Coast Guard to collaborate to enhance security arrangements this year.
According to an Odisha Police statement, anti-sabotage checks will be intensified at key locations, and suspicious movements will be closely monitored. “A strategy has been formulated to keep bomb disposal squads and sniffer dog teams on high alert at all times to handle any emergency,” the statement said.
The DGP also reviewed the deployment of security vehicles near the temple, K-9 squads, NSG-trained Special Operations Group (SOG) teams, and Special Tactical Units (STU).
Special arrangements have been made to prevent stampedes, including adequate accommodation for police, orderly carriages, barricading, coordination with district administration for resolving urgent issues, and orderly darshan for devotees.
Khurania ordered strict action against habitual criminals involved in theft and robbery on trains and at stations. Photographs of identified criminals will be displayed at major public places, railway stations, and railway police stations, and these photos will be shared with the RPF.
The DGP also ordered a special drive in all police stations to control crime in Puri city. He directed the Puri district police to conduct thorough checks at hotels, lodges, monasteries, temples, bus stands, railway stations, workers' accommodations, dharamshalas, and similar places.
Around 12,000 police personnel will be deployed for the nine-day Rath Yatra festival, which begins on July 16, officials said.
