About 10,000 police personnel from across the State have been drafted as part of security arrangements at the historic Sammakka Sarakka Jatara at Medaram village beginning on February 5, said Superintendent of Police S.S.G. Patil.
The force includes three police commissioners (Warangal, Ramagundam and Khammam) and six SPs, 30 ASPs, 80 DSPs, 300 circle inspectors and 750 sub-inspectors who would keep vigil at the jatara that has been divided into 20 sectors.
They will be under direct supervision of IG Y. Nagi Reddy and other senior officers. The jatara area is spread over nearly 7 sqkm that includes various villages around Medaram and also the route from Warangal to Medaram via Mulugu and back via Bhupalpally.
CCTV surveillance
“We have installed 400 CCTV cameras at key points, including the altar and the bathing ghats. They are all connected to the command and control room at ITDA camp office where officers will be monitoring screens round-the-clock. A total of 100 two-wheelers are deployed so that policemen can patrol through the crowd to clear traffic and ensure law and order,” Mr. Patil explained.
Special officers will be deployed for crowd management at the altars and to monitor traffic movement. One-way vehicular movement has been designed to avoid traffic jams on the routes leading to Medaram. Devotees coming from Warangal will reach Medaram via Pasra and Narlapur. They will take the route towards Bhupalpally while returning and leave via Parkal. VVIPs and RTC buses will take the route via Tadvai to reach as well as to return. Devotees have been urged to park vehicles only in the designated parking locations.
Mr Patil said their aim is to ensure an incident-free jatara and therefore, they have set up a police camp every 4 km enroute to the site.
Fire safety
Besides, the Fire Department has also deployed its personnel at Medaram. Divisional Fire Officer M. Bhagavan Reddy said 11 fire engines will be pushed into service while nine Mist Bullets (fire extinguishers on two wheelers) will be kept ready to put out minor fires. He said fire engines were deployed at Chilukalagutta, the altar, Jampanna Vagu, RTC bus station, helipad, Narlapur, Chintal cross and at Tadvai.
District Collector R.V. Karnan said the arrangements are more elaborate as compared to last jatara. “My only request is that those driving vehicles should not cause traffic snarls. They should stop for a while until the line is clear. I also request devotees not to carry any plastic bags,” he appealed.
Mr. Karnan added that 38 parking places were set up on 1,500 acres and there were four routes to reach Medaram from all over the State and neighbouring Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.