CCTV, drone cameras to secure Kanwar Yatra in UP's Muzaffarnagar

In a bid to ensure smooth conduct of the Kanwar Yatra here, 200 CCTV cameras and 90 surveillance drones have been installed along the pilgrimage route besides putting in place other security measures, police said on Wednesday. According to SSP Abhishek Yadav, teams of para-military force and Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (UP-PAC) have been deployed along the pilgrimage route to secure kanwariyas.

A team of divers has also been roped in to rescue the pilgrims from drowning, the SSP said. The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva's devotees, known as kanwariyas, who visit Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch holy waters of the Ganga during the auspicious Hindu month of Shravan. This year, the yatra began on July 17.