20 Million devotees in next 6 months: UP govt goes full throttle to handle pilgrim footfall in Ayodhya
Uttar Pradesh government is gearing up to ensure that Ayodhya is ready for the expected surge in tourists after the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony gets over on January 22 and the temple is opened to the public two days later. In focus are accommodation, logistics, traffic movement, parking spaces, drinking water arrangements, route diversions and the availability of electric buses for the movement of pilgrims inside Ayodhya city, among other things.
Politically, the Yogi Adityanath government wants to send a nation-wide message ahead of the general elections that Uttar Pradesh is a well-administered state by ensuring a proper welcome to pilgrims arriving from elsewhere in the country.
The UP government expects at least 100,000 pilgrims every day after the January 22 ceremony and estimates that at least 20 million people will arrive in Ayodhya in the next six months to offer their prayers at the newly built Ram temple.
The chief minister on Friday reviewed the preparedness of the administrative machinery so that the crowds are managed in an orderly fashion.
He also sought an action plan to provide the required amenities and facilities that pilgrims will need over the next six months.
«It's a challenge as well as an opportunity both for us,» said Prashant Kumar, director general, law and order. «We have installed AI-powered CCTV cameras at different points in Ayodhya city.
Tight security is in place. All the top police officers, including heads of PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary, traffic), ATS (Anti-Terrorist Squad) and intelligence wings are camping in Ayodhya currently.»
The government had begun working on the accommodation early.
