Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Elaborate security measures for Ekadasi

Staff Reporter

Over 1000 policemen to be on duty to maintain order

TIRUCHI: Anticipating a huge turnout of devotees at the Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple for the Vaikunda Ekadasi festival slated for January 10, the City Police have made an elaborate bandobust to maintain law and order and enable devotees to have darshan without any difficulty

Arrangements have also been made to regulate traffic at the temple town on the festival day.

Over 1,000 police personnel would be on duty. Besides Home Guards and Friends of Police would also be involved.

The Superintendents of Police of Karur, Pudukottai, Thanjavur and Tiruchi besides the two Deputy Commissioners (DC) of Police would closely monitor the security arrangements for the next two days.

Briefing the media here on Sunday about the preparations made in connection with the festival, the DC of Police (Crime and Traffic), Kuppusamy said 10 temporary outposts had been set up in various places starting from Ranga Vilas Mandapam to Tiruvanaikoil with each one of them being manned by three policemen round-the-clock. This apart, a master control room had also been set up in the Ranga Vilas Mandapam.

Anti-sabotage teams had been deployed at the south, east and north gates of the temple with door frame metal detectors put up in front of the entrances. Separate teams had been formed for information collection, investigation and to track the missing persons. Cell phones would not be allowed inside the temple on the festival day.

Traffic diversion

In order to prevent traffic congestion, the police have made traffic arrangements, which comes into effect from 6 a.m. on January 9 to 10 p.m. on January 10.

As per the arrangement, no vehicles would be permitted to ply from Rajagopuram to Renga Renga gopuram and from thereon to the south gate.

All cars and two wheelers coming to the temple would have to come through Amma Mandapam; take a turn at Raghavendra arch and proceed via Malligaipoo agraharam, Moolathoppu, Melur road and Mela gopura vassal.

Those holding VVIP car passes would only be permitted to park their vehicles on north and east uthiraveedhi, while those in possession of VIP car passes could park their vehicles on west, north and east Chithirai veedhi.

Four wheelers and two-wheelers could be parked on west, north and east Adayavalanjan areas and inside the ground in front of the taluk office. No vehicles would be allowed to park in the south uthiraveedhi area.

The vehicles coming inside could proceed outside either through Melur road, or Keezha Adayavalangan area or through Kollidam bank to the main road. No vehicles would be allowed to proceed to the temple through Kollidam bank and Manjanakarai.

All tourist vehicles coming to Srirangam should be parked in the National school grounds.

Heavy vehicles, vans and other vehicles coming from Thuraiyur, Perambalur and Chennai to Tiruchi would have to proceed to and fro through the old check post, new check post and by pass road. They would not be permitted to ply on Tiruvanaikoil main road.

Heavy vehicles proceeding from Tiruchi to Chathiram bus stand, Kollidam, Perambalur, Thuraiyur and Chennai would have to proceed via by pass road and oyyamari road. Information about traffic regulation could be obtained from police control (2465000), Srirangam police station (2432235).

Round-the-clock

water supply

The Corporation will provide round-the-clock drinking water supply to Srirangam from January 9 to 11 in view of the Vaikunda Ekadasi festival. It has also put up public fountains in various parts of the temple town to cater to the needs of the devotees visiting the Ranganathaswamy Temple for the festival. Apart from this arrangements have been made to provide drinking water through mobile containers and temporary tanks, the Corporation Commissioner, Harmander Singh, has said in a release.

The civic body has already deployed about 200 sanitary workers at Srirangam and would double the number during the festival week.

Three medical camps would also be set up at Amma Mandapam, Srirangam Overhead Tank premises and at Sannidhi Street to attend to emergency cases. About 10 doctors and 30 para medics would be pressed into service at these camps.

Apart from this adequate number of temporary toilets have been set up in the town. Additional street lights have also been provided.

At Amma Mandapam, change and cloak rooms have also been set up for the benefit of the devotees, Mr. Singh said. Mr. Singh inspected the arrangements being made by the civic body at Srirangam on Saturday.

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