Kanwar Yatra: Tight security, traffic curbs in Delhi-NCR

New Delhi: With hundreds of pilgrims crossing the national capital every day during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, authorities have ramped up security measures, issued traffic advisories for Delhi and adjoining areas, and designated entry routes and camps for the kanwariyas.

Over 5,000 Delhi Police personnel and around 50 companies (more than 5000 personnel) of paramilitary forces have been deployed across sensitive areas in the national capital. The yatra, which will continue till July 22, is being monitored through CCTV surveillance and drone patrolling, particularly in areas around temples and major routes taken by the pilgrims.

Traffic restrictions have been imposed in areas like Kalindi Kunj and Noida, where heavy movement kanwariyas (pilgrims) is expected. The Agra Canal Road and stretches between Badarpur and Kalindi Kunj will see partial closures, with commuters advised to use the DND Flyway and Ashram routes.

The Kanwar Yatra sees the participation of lakhs of devotees every year who travel mostly on foot from Haridwar to their local Shiva temples, carrying holy water from the Ganga to offer on Shivlingas.

With rains already lashing parts of Delhi and NCR, officials said extra caution is being maintained to prevent accidents and ensure smooth passage for the pilgrims.

According to an advisory from Delhi Traffic Police, a large number of kanwariyas are expected to march towards Faridabad, Gurugram and Rajasthan via Noida, Kalindi Kunj, and Agra Canal Road in the coming days.

In Haridwar, four kanwariyas were arrested in two separate incidents. While two were arrested and a case was registered against unidentified people for blocking the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway and pelting stones at police, two others were arrested for allegedly vandalising a shop near Har Ki Pauri.

In Kanpur, ruckus broke out during a Kanwar procession as a crowd allegedly assaulted a home guard, a security guard and a student volunteer, before vandalising a police station.

Five suspects were arrested, and police identified 20 individuals using CCTV footage. Though some media reports linked the kanwariyas to the Kanpur incident, the FIR does not mention them specifically.

Authorities have maintained that the violence was committed by “anti-social elements”.

In Mathura, District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh emphasised zero tolerance for law and order violations during the yatra.

CCTV installation, cleanliness, and crowd regulation have been prioritised, with SSP Shlok Kumar and other senior officers overseeing arrangements.

SSP Kumar said arrangements have been made to ensure that kanwariyas arriving for Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva during do not face any difficulties.

He said the majority of pilgrims enter the district from Aligarh and Bulandshahr and proceed toward Bharatpur in Rajasthan. The entire route is being monitored through CCTV cameras and police on the ground.

Sixteen Police Response Vehicles (PRVs) and four mobile teams continuously patrol the route, he said.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, on Tuesday, issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over a plea challenging the mandatory QR code directive for eateries along the Kanwar yatra route. The petitioners allege it amounts to religious profiling and violates privacy.

A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh issued notice to the state government and posted the plea filed by academician Apoorvanand Jha and others on July 22.

The top court had last year stayed similar directives issued by BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh, asking eateries along the Kanwar yatra routes to display the names of their owners, staff and other details.

Referring to a press release issued by the UP administration on June 25, Jha, said, "The new measures mandate the display of QR codes on all eateries along the kanwar route, which reveal the names and identities of the owners, thereby achieving the same discriminatory profiling that was previously stayed by this court." The petition said the state government's directive asking stall owners to reveal religious and caste identities under "lawful license requirements" breaches the right to privacy of the shop, dhaba, and restaurant owners.

In Bareilly, a school teacher was booked for allegedly singing a song in class discouraging participation in the yatra after a video surfaced.

The FIR was registered following complaints from local political and religious groups, though officials later said the video of the teacher was old and misinterpreted.

In the national capital, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority has also activated support teams with medical aid, water tankers and disaster response equipment to assist the yatra in case of emergencies or rain-related disruptions.

According to an officer, 774 locations have been identified across Delhi for setting up camps for kanwariyas and 374 camps have already been permitted. Sources in the police said that more than 150 additional camps are awaiting final approval.

"The primary focus will remain on maintaining law and order, facilitating smooth traffic movement and providing immediate assistance to the pilgrims. PCR vans, quick reaction teams (QRT) and ambulances have been strategically stationed," another police officer said.

Key routes such as NH-1, NH-9, and major arterial roads passing through outer, northeast, east and Shahdara districts are being closely monitored.

"To manage the influx, Delhi Police has released a list of entry routes for kanwariyas, which includes Ghazipur border, Anand Vihar, Bhopura, Apsara, Maharajpur, Loni border and ISBT Kashmere Gate. Specific roads like Wazirabad to Bhopura, GT Road and Loni Road will also serve as major kanwar routes," the officer added.

Authorities have also appealed to citizens to avoid unnecessary travel through the routes notified for the Kanwariya movement. Emergency services and essential vehicles will be facilitated, and special helplines have been activated.

The officer said that senior officers of Delhi Police have directed DCPs of all 15 districts to remain present on the ground and ensure coordination with civil administration, especially for handling emergencies and regulating crowd movement.