Orders completion of facilities by July 28
Shatrughn Prasad
Deoghar
Jharkhand Minister for Urban Development & Housing, Higher and Technical Education, Tourism, Art & Culture, and Sports & Youth Affairs, Sudivya Kumar, on Saturday conducted an extensive inspection of preparations for the Rajkiya Shravani Mela 2026 and directed officials to complete all arrangements by July 28 to ensure a safe and hassle-free pilgrimage for millions of devotees.
Accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Saurabh Kumar Bhuvaniya and Superintendent of Police Praveen Pushkar, the minister reviewed preparedness at key locations, including the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) at Baghmara, the tent city and vehicle halt area at Kothia, parking sites at Sarsa and Paritraan, Dumma Border, and the spiritual complex. He instructed officials to ensure uninterrupted availability of essential facilities such as electricity, drinking water, toilets, barricading, mobile charging points, bathing facilities, health services, information centres and cleanliness across the pilgrimage route.
Emphasising the need for efficient crowd management, Kumar directed authorities to strengthen arrangements at holding points, improve facilities inside the spiritual complex by providing beds, carpets and better sanitation infrastructure, and maintain an encroachment-free Kanwariya route. He also called for alternate lighting arrangements, round-the-clock medical services, ambulance deployment, and emergency preparedness with support from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
“Cleanliness and humility should remain the core sentiment of the Shravan Mela. Devotees from across the country and abroad should return with a positive experience,” the minister said, stressing continuous sanitation drives throughout the mela area.
Later, chairing a high-level review meeting at the Deoghar Parisadan auditorium, Kumar said the month-long fair will be held from July 30 to August 28 and announced that VIP and VVIP out-of-turn darshan would remain completely suspended during the event to ensure equal convenience for all pilgrims. Another review meeting has been scheduled for July 29.
The minister also directed departments to keep police outposts, health centres, information kiosks, power centres and other public facilities operational round the clock while expanding accommodation at the three tent cities and increasing mist-cooling systems to provide relief from heat and humidity.
Highlighting the use of technology, officials said this year’s mela will feature an AI-based integrated control room, AI-enabled surveillance cameras, facial recognition systems, AI-supported drones, automatic number plate recognition cameras, QR code-based grievance redressal, digital pavilions, location-based attendance systems and AI-powered traffic management to enhance security, crowd regulation and overall pilgrim services.
