Patna : Gandhi Maidan is set to become the centre of Patna’s Dussehra celebrations this year, with the four-day Dussehra festival scheduled from October 11 to 14 and Ramlila performances continuing from October 11 to 20.
The celebrations will be held at Gandhi Maidan instead of Sri Krishna Memorial Hall. The administration has planned extensive arrangements for security, crowd management, traffic, lighting and emergency services throughout the festival.
Dussehra Festivities To Begin On October 11
The Dussehra festival will be organised at Gandhi Maidan from October 11 to 14 by the Sri Krishna Memorial Development Committee in association with the Department of Art and Culture.
Ramlila performances will also begin on October 11 and continue until October 20, bringing a 10-day festive programme to the venue.
The administration is preparing the venue to handle visitors during the celebrations and has directed officials to complete all arrangements before the events begin.
Watchtowers And CCTV To Keep A Check On Crowds
Security and crowd management will remain a key focus during the celebrations.
Watchtowers will be installed at Gandhi Maidan, while sufficient CCTV cameras will be placed across the event area for continuous surveillance.
A control room will also be established at the venue to monitor activities and coordinate with security and emergency teams.
An additional permanent police outpost will be arranged at Gandhi Maidan to strengthen security during the festival.
Police And Magistrates To Be Deployed
Patna Divisional Commissioner Rajesh Kumar reviewed preparations with officials and directed them to ensure adequate security arrangements.
Sufficient numbers of magistrates and police officers will be deployed at the venue and surrounding areas.
Officials have also been instructed to maintain smooth traffic movement and make adequate and organised parking arrangements for visitors attending the celebrations.
Lighting And Power Supply Arrangements
The administration has directed officials to inspect all lights installed at Gandhi Maidan and repair or replace them wherever required.
Adequate lighting will be maintained across the venue so that visitors can move around safely during the evening programmes.
Patna Electric Supply Undertaking (PESU) officials have also been asked to make arrangements for uninterrupted and adequate electricity supply throughout the festival.
Fire Brigade And Medical Teams To Remain Ready
Emergency response arrangements will also be put in place at Gandhi Maidan.
The administration will ensure the availability of fire brigade services, medical teams and ambulances during the celebrations.
Regular drinking-water supply and sufficient temporary toilets will also be arranged for visitors.
The measures are aimed at ensuring that emergency services can respond promptly if any situation arises during the festival.
Traffic And Crowd Management In Focus
With Dussehra festivities and Ramlila taking place at the same venue, officials have been directed to pay particular attention to crowd management and traffic regulation.
The administration will coordinate security, traffic and emergency services to ensure smooth movement of visitors around Gandhi Maidan.
The preparations were reviewed in a meeting attended by Traffic SP Sagar Kumar, Patna Sadar SDO Kritika Mishra, Deputy Director Pratibha Sinha and other officials.
With Gandhi Maidan set to host the celebrations from October 11, the administration is working to ensure that Patna’s Dussehra festivities proceed with adequate security, lighting, parking, medical and emergency facilities through the Ramlila programme ending on October 20.
