The administration has decided to ramp up health facilities, including setting up vaccination camps, along the Pune-Pandharpur pilgrimage route, following a recent spike in Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra. The three-week-long pilgrimage is set to start from June 20 this year. The authorities are expecting a rise in the number of visitors since the pilgrimage could not be held in the last two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Devotees who have not taken the two doses or the precautionary dose should be urged to complete their vaccination. Also, vaccination centres should be opened for the purpose,” Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar told officials during a recently held review meeting in the run up to the pilgrimage.
Every year, lakhs of devotees take the pilgrimage starting from Alandi and Dehu in Pune to Pandharpur. The pilgrimage starts from Pune district and passes through Satara before concluding at Pandharpur in Solapur district. This year, the pilgrimage would end on July 10 on the occasion of Ashadi Ekadashi. Sources said nearly 15 lakh devotees are expected to visit Pandharpur on Ashadi Ekadashi.
The pilgrimage includes a two-day halt in Pune city, during which the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has to provide drinking water supply, health and other facilities to the devotees. “There are instructions to increase the civic facilities for devotees during the annual pilgrimage, considering that the turn up would be one-and-a-half times of the usual participation,” said Ravindra Binawade, additional municipal commissioner (PMC).
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“We are going to rope in water tankers to provide sufficient water to devotees. Medical teams would be available round the clock for devotees,” he said.
During the review meeting held Sunday, collector Rajesh Deshmukh said the administration has taken control of 37 wells on the pilgrimage route and it will deploy 70 water tankers to provide water to devotees. “In total, 112 medical officers and 336 personnel will be deployed to provide health services along the route. Twenty-three primary health centres and 87 mobile medical teams will also be deployed,” he said.
The administration is also trying to set up additional mobile towers on the route for the convenience of devotees. Notably, a mobile application has already been launched highlighting various information pertaining to the pilgrimage like information on stay, health facilities, water tankers, LPG refilling centres and ambulances, among others. Proceedings from the Vithal mandir in Pandharpur will be telecast live on the app.
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