Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bhopal’s Upper Lake turned into a sea of tricolour on Thursday, ahead of Independence Day, as a large Boat Tiranga Yatra was organised from Boat Club following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to celebrate the national flag.
The yatra was held in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and featured more than 350 boats carrying the Tricolour. The national flag was expected to be visible across the water, land and sky.
The yatra started at 11 am from the Boat Club. More than 1k people, including water sports players from across the country, athletes from Madhya Pradesh, youngsters, members of social organisations and local residents, took part in the event.
Hundreds of boats carrying participants with the national flag created a unique sight on the Upper Lake. The event aimed to strengthen the spirit of patriotism and national pride among people ahead of Independence Day.
Cooperation, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang said the Upper Lake was an important part of Bhopal’s identity and natural beauty. He said the boat yatra was used to spread a message of patriotism.
“Our aim was to see the Tricolour flying everywhere, from the sky to the water,” Sarang said.
Security and traffic arrangements
Ahead of the event, Sarang inspected the Boat Club and Upper Lake area along with officials from the district administration, Sports Department, police and State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF).
Officials reviewed arrangements related to boat operations, security, deployment of divers and SDERF personnel, traffic management, parking and cleanliness.
They were instructed to make the safety of participants the top priority and ensure that all safety standards were followed during the boat operations.
Water sports players joined the event
Water sports players from different parts of the country participated in the yatra along with athletes from Madhya Pradesh. The large participation of youngsters and players added to the scale of the event.
Sarang also appealed to people across Madhya Pradesh to join the Tiranga Yatra in large numbers and show their participation in honour of the national flag.
