GUWAHATI, June 20 - The Kamrup Metro district administration today said elaborate arrangements have been made for pilgrims who will be in the city to celebrate the Ambubachi Mela beginning on Thursday.
�Accommodation facilities for the visiting pilgrims at eight venues with proper back-end support systems have been arranged. There will be 800 toilets and urinals, 1,000 taps, and dedicated bhandaras for supplying food and drinking water. Sanitation and hygiene will be maintained by GMC staff. Around 2,000 volunteers will be deployed to assist the pilgrims,� Kamrup Metro Deputy Commissioner Dr M Angamuthu said today.
He said a detailed plan for crowd management and a security plan have also been drawn up. �This time the Chief Minister has specifically asked the district administration to monitor the use of plastic bags and other plastic items. Use of non-biodegradable plastic will be restricted in and around the Nilachal Hill and we will promote biodegradable and eco-friendly materials,� said the DC.
He said that the entire Nilachal Hill will be treated as a �no tobacco zone� and police and excise department will enforce the �no tobacco� rule.
Dr Angamuthu said that special care is being taken to ensure that the wildlife at Nilachal is not harmed in any way due to presence of the large number of pilgrims.
�Designated places for parking of vehicles and embarking and disembarking of visitors have been marked. Street vending will be in place from Bharalumukh to Maligaon and from Kamakhya to Bhubaneswari hill top during the period of the Mela. Besides, a health management plan has been formulated and emergency aid will be in place at all the vantage points,� he said.
The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), along with NDRF and SDRF, has formulated an emergency disaster response and rescue plan to deal with any contingency. CCTVs have been placed at important locations.
The NDRF and River Police have started patrolling the Brahmaputra.
�Special arrangements for pilgrims and devotees have also been made at Basistha, Umananda and Sukreswar temples and volunteers have been asked to help elderly people, women and children who visit the city during the Mela. ASTC will ply 100 special buses to Kamakhya during the Mela period from various locations in the city,� said Dr Angamuthu.
