Varanasi/Chennai, Dec 5 (PTI) As about one lakh people are expected to visit Varanasi till December 17 for the ongoing fourth edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, the overall security has been enhanced and it includes deployment of additional police personnel and drones as well, a top police official said on Friday.
With the presence of over 2,000 staff to maintain tight vigil over the next 15 days during the conference, the NaMo Ghat in Varanasi has been buzzling with activity since December 2 when it was formally inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the presence of Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, L Murugan and Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi among others.
The theme of Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 is “Let us Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam”. This will be a unifying feature of the event, spreading the message that all Indian Languages are our Languages and belong to one Bharatiya Bhasha family, according to the organisers.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Varanasi Commissionerate Saravanan Thangamani, around 80,000 to 1 lakh people are expected to visit the city for the event till December 17.
In view of this, security has been tightened through the deployment of four speed motor boats in neighbouring River Ganga which runs adjacent to the venue NaMo Ghat. Also, 10 drones are deployed, he said.
“Around 2,000 policemen are on duty during these 15 days. There are three companies of armed police forces. Members of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and additional staff to maintain vigil in waterways have also been roped in,” he said.
Asked about how security has been strengthened compared to last year’s edition, he said, “We are using a dedicated drone team to provide safety and protection. We are also using a fleet of four speed boats in waterways. These four speed boats are of European standards. Each boat can travel this 8 km stretch of the Ganga river within 7 minutes.” Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Thangamani is also the nodal officer of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0.
Asked about the response from the public for the event, he said, “This time, the expectations are very high.” “The Ganga Arti performed in various Ghats is being conducted at NaMo Ghat venue. It would attract a large number of people,” he said. PTI VIJ KH
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