Prayagraj: The second sacred bathing festival (snan) of Prayagraj’s Sangam-based Magh Mela will be held on Makar Sankranti, on 15 January. After the successful Paush Purnima snan, in which over 31 lakh devotees took a holy dip, the Mela administration has stepped up preparations for the upcoming Makar Sankranti Snan. Special arrangements have been made at the bathing ghats to ensure smooth movement, with parking facilities set up closer to the ghats so that devotees have to walk as little as possible. The administration estimates that more than 1 crore devotees will take the holy dip on this
Administration has prepared mega plan of crowd management. In previous Magh Mela-2024 on this festival over 28.95 lakh devotees did snan. Seeing estimate of almost three times more devotees’ arrival this time Mela administration has also prepared mega plan of crowd management. Magh Mela officer Rishiraj says considering crowd management and smooth traffic this time 42 temporary parking developed, in which almost over 1 lakh vehicles can park. In Magh Mela 2025-26 total 12,100 feet length in ghats construction done in which all necessary basic facilities changing room, pool, kiosk, toilet etc available.
According to Mela officer for ensuring water availability in Ganga in Magh Mela daily 8000 cusec water being released from Kanpur’s Ganga Barrage. Tapping of all 81 drains falling in both rivers in Prayagraj has been done. Continuous monitoring of Ganga water is happening.
On state’s instructions in Magh Mela special emphasis given on cleanliness, security and smooth transport. Mela officer Rishiraj tells that for making Magh Mela open defecation free (O.D.F.), odor free and Ganga zero discharge approx 25,880 toilets, 11 thousand dustbins, over 10 lakh liner bags, 25 suction vehicles and 3,300 cleaning workers deployed. For devotees smooth and easy movement arrangement of bike taxi and golf cart has been made.
Magh Mela police superintendent Neeraj Pandey tells that in entire mela area 17 police stations and 42 police posts, 20 fire stations, 07 fire posts, 20 fire watch towers, 01 water police station, 01 water police control room and 04 water police sub control rooms established. 8 kilometer more deep water barricading and 02 kilometer river line (for single direction route) installed. Para military force deployment done in mela area from security perspective.
In addition to previously established CCTV cameras in city and mela area through over 400 cameras including AI equipped cameras arrangement of crowd monitoring, crowd density analysis, incident reporting, cleanliness and security surveillance done.
