‘Zero-risk mission’: How Gujarat Police is securing India’s second-biggest Rath Yatra

Ahmedabad, July 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) As lakhs of devotees prepare to line the streets of Ahmedabad on Thursday for Lord Jagannath's 149th Rath Yatra, the city administration has mounted one of its largest-ever security operations, combining thousands of police personnel, artificial intelligence, facial recognition, drone surveillance, GPS tracking and extensive community outreach in an effort to ensure what senior officers describe as a "zero-risk" celebration.

The annual procession, regarded as India's second-largest Rath Yatra after Puri, will begin at 7 a.m. from the 400-year-old Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur area and follow its traditional 16.2 km route through the old city before reaching Saraspur, where Lord Jagannath's ceremonial 'mamera' (maternal visit) will take place.

After a halt, the procession will return through Kalupur, Prem Darwaza, Tambu Chowki, Delhi Chakla and Shahpur before concluding at the temple at around 8:30 p.m. after nearly 14 hours on the road.

The procession will comprise the three chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, 18 elephants, 103 trucks, around 30 akhadas and 18 bhajan mandalis, drawing lakhs of devotees from Gujarat and other parts of the country.

Speaking to IANS, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sharad Singhal said the Ahmedabad City Police had adopted a zero-risk approach despite there being no specific intelligence input suggesting any threat to the procession.

"We have made the entire security arrangement with a zero-risk approach. Around 30,000 police personnel, Home Guards and supporting forces have been deployed on the ground, while technology, AI-based surveillance and continuous monitoring will work alongside them. We have been preparing for nearly one-and-a-half months through confidence-building measures, coordination with the temple administration and civic agencies, and extensive interaction with the public," Singhal told IANS.

Officials said that the deployment includes around 30,000 personnel from the police and Home Guards, nearly 3,000 State Reserve Police personnel and about 1,000 paramilitary personnel drawn from five companies of the Rapid Action Force and four companies of the Border Security Force.

Three Chetak Commando hit teams have also been stationed at strategic locations for immediate response to any emergency.

The entire route has been secured through a combination of moving and static deployment.

While the Crime Branch will supervise the moving security accompanying the three chariots, temple vehicles, elephants, akhadas and devotional groups, local police will maintain static deployment across roads, narrow lanes and residential pols to regulate crowds and prevent congestion.

More than 250 rooftop observation points have been established across the route, while over 250 D-points have been created inside neighbourhoods, with police teams under Police Sub-Inspectors patrolling areas extending up to 300 metres away from the procession route.

The deployment is intended to ensure that senior citizens, women, children and other devotees are able to witness the procession safely.

Technology forms the backbone of this year's security plan.

Police have installed more than 3,700 CCTV cameras along the procession route, all connected to a central command centre providing live feeds throughout the day.

AI-powered software has been integrated into the surveillance network to monitor crowd density, identify congestion and assist police in diverting crowds wherever required.

Authorities have also uploaded photographs of nearly 65,000 known pickpockets, anti-social elements and individuals with criminal histories into a facial recognition database.

The system will automatically alert police if any such individual is detected along the route.

In addition to CCTV coverage, police officers deployed within the crowds will wear body-worn cameras to record real-time interactions and incidents, allowing senior officers to monitor events closely from the control rooms.

Aerial surveillance will be undertaken through around 100 drones, which will monitor not only the procession route but also adjoining neighbourhoods, terraces and rooftops up to nearly half a kilometre on either side.

Their live feeds will also be integrated into the control room network.

Authorities have also deployed two anti-drone guns capable of neutralising any unauthorised drones entering the airspace over the procession.

Police have established 12 control rooms, including one at Tambu Chowki, allowing continuous monitoring throughout the event.

GPS devices have been installed in police vehicles and trucks accompanying the procession, with GIS mapping allowing officers to track every vehicle in real time through digital dashboards.

Public address systems have been installed throughout the route to help police communicate directly with devotees regarding crowd movement, emergencies and other instructions.

A significant part of the preparations has focused on preventive policing.

Over the past one-and-a-half months, Ahmedabad City Police have organised more than 1,000 community programmes, including peace committee meetings, neighbourhood meetings, interactions with religious leaders, meetings with women and extensive outreach among young people, particularly members of "Generation Z".

"Community engagement has also included a blood donation drive that collected around 900 units of blood, an Ekta Cup cricket tournament featuring 16 Hindu-Muslim teams and volleyball tournaments involving 12 Hindu-Muslim teams as part of efforts to strengthen communal harmony ahead of the festival," officials told IANS.

Police have simultaneously launched preventive action against anti-social elements.

Around 90 people have been detained under the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA), 17 externment cases have been registered, 24 Arms Act cases and 31 NDPS Act cases have been booked, while preventive action has been taken against nearly 5,000 individuals.

Meetings have also been held with truck owners, drivers, helpers, akhadas and devotional groups, including 29 separate meetings with truck helpers, to ensure coordination during the procession.

Special attention has been paid to elephant management following last year's incident in which an elephant became agitated.

This year, all 18 elephants participating in the procession will be monitored using specialised equipment capable of detecting excessive sound levels.

Police said the system has undergone successful testing. Dedicated squads will move 100-150 metres ahead of the elephants to ensure DJs are switched off, fireworks are stopped and excessive noise is eliminated before the animals pass.

Police personnel have also been instructed not to use whistles near the elephants.

Speaking to IANS, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3) Rupal Solanki said lessons from last year's experience had directly shaped this year's arrangements.

"Last time there was the elephant-related issue. This year we have restricted DJs whenever the elephants pass. People have also been requested not to blow whistles. We have formed a dedicated 'Gajraj Squad' that will move ahead of the elephants to ensure DJs are stopped. Neon-coloured objects that could disturb the elephants will also be removed, while young volunteers will remain ahead of the procession to coordinate communication," she added.

Zone 3 covers four police stations through which the procession passes -- Gaekwad Haveli, Khadia, Kalupur and Shaherkotda, including Saraspur, where the traditional 'mamera' ceremony is held.

Solanki said around 31,000 police personnel had been deployed citywide, including personnel from the RAF, Central Armed Police Forces and the State Reserve Police Force. While the Crime Branch would manage the moving security, local police would maintain static deployment throughout the route.

"To reduce crowd pressure near the temple, four LED screens have been installed outside the Jagannath Temple to broadcast live coverage of the rituals and procession using Doordarshan's feed," officials confirmed.

The live telecast will also be available on the Ahmedabad City Police's social media platforms, allowing devotees, including senior citizens, NRIs and families with young children, to watch from outside the temple or from their homes.

"Police in her zone had taken action against more than 100 history-sheeters ahead of the Rath Yatra. Extensive combing operations, foot patrols and action against rumour-mongers have been undertaken, while police carrying breath analysers will also check for intoxicated persons during the procession. Special action will also be taken against pickpockets," Solanki added.

She said no particular stretch of the route had been identified as communally sensitive, attributing this to months of confidence-building programmes and peace meetings organised by police officers.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Sector 1) Neeraj Badgujar told IANS that central armed police forces, including BSF and RAF companies, had been deployed in his sector, while security arrangements had been strengthened through deep-point deployments and rooftop observation points.

"The main deployment is around the Rath, while additional security has been provided at several important locations. Extensive preventive action has been taken and thousands of people have been covered through interactions as part of the preparations," he said.

Police have also established dedicated cyber monitoring teams that have been watching social media platforms and the dark web for several days. AI-based tools are being used to detect rumours and misleading content in real time.

Officials said legal action would be initiated against anyone found creating or forwarding false information related to the procession.

Senior police officers confirmed to IANS that full-scale rehearsals have already been completed and coordination has been established with the temple administration, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, emergency services, neighbouring districts, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Crime Branch and the Special Operations Group.

"Discussions with the ATS following the recent arrests of suspected terror-linked accused had not revealed any specific threat to the Rath Yatra. However, coordination with all security agencies would continue throughout the event as part of the comprehensive security grid," a senior official said.

With thousands of personnel on the streets, AI-assisted surveillance in the control rooms, drones in the skies and months of planning behind the scenes, Ahmedabad's administration is preparing for one of the country's largest religious gatherings with an unprecedented mixture of traditional policing, technology and community participation.

Source: IANS