New Delhi: Booming music, open trucks packed with dancing devotees and towering DJs flashing colourful lights. This is the spectacle of the Kanwar Yatra every year. But this time, in Uttar Pradesh, the volume has been turned down.
The UP Police have grown stricter with the Kanwar Yatris this time, banning the entry of DJs, seizing oversized sound systems and slapping challans. In Muzaffarnagar district, a Rs 50,000 challan was imposed on Kashyap DJ after it arrived at Shiv Chowk with a setup that exceeded the prescribed guidelines. The video of seizing the oversized DJ has gone viral on social media.
As per the guidelines, the DJ systems used during Kanwar Yatra should not exceed 12 feet in height and 10 feet in width. And for that, the police are measuring the sound systems right at the border before the Kanwar Yatris enter the city.
SP City Amrit Jain said Kashyap DJ was scrutinised at the border and was advised to reduce the size, which the DJ operator did. But once he entered the city and reached Shiv Chowk, the DJ operator increased the size and drew a crowd.
“Following this, a challan was slapped, and the DJ was escorted out of the city. We are measuring DJ sizes at the borders and entry points to the city or any kasba. The measurements are done through measuring sticks or tape. If the DJ is oversized, we ask them to reduce and if they refuse, they are escorted out,” Jain told ThePrint on a phone call.
During Kanwar Yatra, several flashy, truck-mounted DJs with lights emanating through them roll through the cities. The devotees stop to rest and dance while triggering traffic jams, and their booming sound systems generate noise pollution and disturb residents.
Jain said that the cops have turned to social media to create awareness among the citizens for traffic diversions.
“We are creating 10-20 second animated videos for the common citizens informing them about route diversions because of the yatra,” Jain added.
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‘Zero Incident, Zero Accident’
The crackdown is part of a broader strategy under UP Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna, who has directed all police chiefs and field officers to conduct Kanwar Yatra with twin objectives: “Zero Incident” and “Zero Accident.” The Uttar Pradesh police has also set up a state-level control room at the police headquarters for round-the-clock monitoring of Kanwar Yatris.
Jain said that the senior police officials are coordinating with police headquarters of Noida, Delhi, Haryana and Uttarakhand for a smooth yatra.
“Our first priority is Kanwar traffic management. We have identified traditional routes and increased traffic diversions wherever required. DIGs and SSPs are coordinating closely with the counterparts in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Haryana and Uttarakhand. Meetings are held not only at the state but also at zonal levels,” Jain added.
But this doesn’t mean that stricter enforcement has applied an entirely coercive approach. The same police officers have welcomed Kanwar Yatris through flower showers and aartis. During his night inspection, Meerut ADG Bhanu Bhaskar was seen reviewing the route, interacting with the devotees and showering flowers on them.
The authorities have also made elaborate arrangements—medical facilities, CCTV surveillance and deployment of relief personnel along the ghats—for the pilgrimage. From 4 August, there has also been a ban on vehicular movement on the Delhi-Haridwar national highway and Ganga canal road in Muzaffarnagar to facilitate the devotees.
Kanwar Yatra is one of India’s largest annual pilgrimages in which lakhs of devotees walk to Haridwar, Gangotri and other sacred sites to collect Ganga water.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)