Agartala, Jul 15 (PTI) The Tripura government has instructed the organisers of Rath Yatra processions across the state to use wooden chariots not exceeding five metres in height as part of enhanced safety measures following the 2023 Kumarghat electrocution tragedy, officials said on Wednesday.
An exception has been made for the Rath Yatra at Melaghar in Sepahijala district, where the chariot will be around seven metres high after a vulnerability assessment by the authorities, they said.
The safety guidelines come in the wake of the June 28, 2023, incident at Kumarghat in Unakoti district, where seven devotees were killed, and several others critically injured after a chariot came in contact with an overhead live wire and caught fire.
“We had a meeting with religious bodies regarding preparations for the Rath Yatra scheduled for Thursday. The organisers were asked to make the chariot for Lord Jagannath of wood, and it shall not exceed five metres in height,” West Tripura District Magistrate Vishal Kumar told reporters.
He said volunteers from religious organisations would surround the chariots to prevent devotees from climbing onto the structures, while adequate police personnel, fire service teams and ambulances would be deployed to ensure peaceful celebrations.
“We will depute adequate police personnel for crowd control, fire service personnel, and an ambulance will be engaged to ensure peaceful Rath Yatra celebrations,” he said.
“All precautionary measures have been taken to ensure peaceful celebrations of Rath Yatra at Melaghar in Sepahijala district. The chariot of Lord Jagannath will be made of non-contactable materials, and the height will be around seven metres. The sub-divisional committee, after assessing vulnerability, approved the organiser to hold the procession on Thursday. The procession will be held in an open ground, unlike other places,” Sepahijala district magistrate Siddharth S Jaiswal told PTI.
Sonamura sub-divisional magistrate Raju Deb said Chief Minister Manik Saha will inaugurate the state’s biggest Rath Yatra at Melaghar on Wednesday evening, while the procession will be taken out on Thursday. PTI PS MNB
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