New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs asked the state governments to arrange for foolproof security to the ongoing Kanwar Yatra.
After Intelligence Bureau's report of radical elements targeting the pilgrims, MHA issued advisory to states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh to step up security for Kanwar Yatra which began on Thursday.
Hundreds of thousands of devotees will travel on the first day of Hindu month of Shravan to Haridwar and Rishikesh where they will collect holy waters of Ganga.
The ritual will see them offering the water to Lord Shiva in temples back home.
This time an estimated four crore Kanwariyas will turn up for the fortnight-long fair, which is happening after the gap of two years of covid controls.
They mostly come from states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan.
MHA asked the Railway Board to tighten security and directed authorities to deploy a large number of police personnel to cover the pilgrimage, according to India Today.
As Haridwar and Rishikesh are having throngs of pilgrims, authorities have set up CCTV cameras, and monitor social media while teams for bomb disposal and anti-terror squads search the area.
Haridwar and adjoining areas have been divided into 12 super zones, 31 zones and 133 sectors with the deployment of around 10,000 police personnel, India Today reported.
Police asked Shiva devotees not to enter the town with spears and other weapons.