Over 16K Km rail network to be under tight vigil for Mahakumbh
GRP, RPF, local cops, village chowkidars as well as railway employees will intensify vigil in UP to avert any untoward incident
Amid multiple incidents of railway track sabotage reported this year, a joint patrol team of Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), local police, village chowkidars as well as railway staff will intensify vigil across widespread network of over 16,000 kilometres of rail track across the state to avert any untoward incidents before the onset of Mahakumbh in Prayagraj in which huge turnout of devotees is expected from across the country and globe, said senior police officials.
“Other than forming joint patrol teams, we will also prepare dossiers of people arrested in railway track sabotage incidents in the past as well as identity and list out sensitive stretches and points where these incidents had happened and other deserted sensitive points where it could happen,” confirmed additional director general (ADG) of GRP Prakash D.
He said the Mahakumbh will start in Prayagraj from January 13 and continue nearly for two months till March 8, 2025, and several special trains are scheduled for this mega event during the same period. He said the police officials involved in the preparation of Mahakumbh apprehended that this phenomenon of obstructing the track has off late been reported from different states across the country and it could lead to some major incident during this mega event.
“Although no major loss of property or human lives were reported in as many as 37 such incidents, we could not take these things casually as it a matter of passengers’ safety,” said another senior police official privy to the development.
Confirming the same, the ADG said the GRP is already working as the state’s nodal agency in arranging security measures during Mahakumbh and the authorities concerned of all five railway zones Northern Railway, Northeastern Railway, North Central Railway, East Central Railway and West Central Railways for forming joint patrol teams to intensify vigil along the rail routes to ensure passengers’ safety.
He said it is almost impossible to guard the entire 16,000 kilometers railway network across the state, but the intensified vigil would surely help in averting such incidents in the future.
“Local police teams and village chowkidars have been roped in for the vigilance purpose to cover the maximum stretches of railway tracks,” he said and added, “Authorities of all five railway zones are taken into loop as over 1000 special trains from different places will reach at 13 railway stations in and around Prayagraj”.
The ADG said an additional police force of around 10,000 police personnel will be added to the GRP strength to manage huge footfall at the railway stations. He said around 10 percent of the additional force had already reached Prayagraj while the remaining 40 percent will come in November and 50 percent of personnel will reach Prayagraj in December at least four weeks before the start of Maha Kumbh. This includes 800 women police personnel as well. He said their special training to handle crowds coming from different parts of the country and speaking different languages had already started.
“We are making them aware about Bhasini mobile app using which they could easily understand any language and help them as per their needs,” the ADG explained.
Besides, 12,000 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel will be deployed for onboard security on special trains from the mega event.