*Drone surveillance of railway tracks during the Maha Kumbh Mela*
Lucknow: Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, highlighted the Mahakumbh Mela as a symbol of global unity, during the curtain raiser event for the Mahakumbh 2025 prelude.
Addressing the gathering, Shekhawat emphasized that the event, taking place in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, offers a unique opportunity for cultural, artistic, and craft exchanges on a global scale. He described the Mahakumbh as a celebration of diversity and reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring top-quality accommodation, transportation, and tour services for visitors from around the world.
Uttar Pradesh Minister for Tourism and Culture, Jaiveer Singh, also spoke at the event, encouraging foreign delegates to invite their friends and family to experience the Mahakumbh. He praised the collaborative efforts of both the central and state governments in making the event welcoming for international guests.
The curtain raiser was attended by ambassadors and high commissioners from various countries, including Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the USA, Malaysia, Myanmar, the UK, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Brazil, Nigeria, and Japan.
The Mahakumbh 2025 is scheduled to begin on January 13 and will conclude on February 26 next year.
Drone surveillance of railway tracks during the Maha Kumbh Mela
In view of the security during the Maha Kumbh Mela, which is set to begin in Prayagraj on January 14, the Mela Authority has started focusing its attention on the railway tracks. Surveillance will be carried out on every railway track using drones.
The live footage from the drones will be connected to the railway control room. Security personnel will monitor every activity on large screens. If any major intrusion or suspicious activity is detected on the railway track, an alert will be issued, and the RPF’s Quick Response Team will be dispatched immediately.
The railway administration and the Mela administration have also stated that they are not ignoring the discovery of suspicious items on the tracks and plots to derail trains in recent months. During the Maha Kumbh, security will be at its highest level. Civil police assistance has been requested for the security of the railway tracks.
The RPF will monitor the area around the railway station, and drones will also keep an eye on it. However, the major responsibility of monitoring the railway tracks far from the station has been assigned to the civil police.
In a meeting between the police and Mela Authority, it was decided to identify all locations from where people could access the railway tracks. These unwanted elements, when the crowd increases, may take these routes to reach the station to catch a train. To ensure that only the designated routes are used for entry inside the railway station, necessary arrangements will be made.
