Haridwar: Arunoday times
Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister and Haridwar District In-charge Minister Satpal Maharaj has directed officials to ensure that all preparations for Kanwar Mela 2026 are completed well in time.
Chairing a high-level review meeting on Friday, he emphasized the need for effective coordination with neighboring states to ensure the smooth, safe, and well-organized conduct of the annual pilgrimage.
Reviewing the preparations at the CCR Hall, Maharaj said the Kanwar Yatra is one of the country’s largest religious gatherings, attracting millions of devotees to Haridwar every year. He stated that the safety, convenience, and respectful treatment of pilgrims remain the Uttarakhand government’s top priority.
He said that under the leadership of the Chief Minister, the state government is fully committed to making Kanwar Mela 2026 a grand, divine, secure, and well-managed event. He instructed all departments to work in coordination and complete every assigned responsibility within the stipulated timeline.
The minister directed officials to strengthen coordination with Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, and other neighboring states to ensure seamless security arrangements, traffic management, and uninterrupted movement of pilgrims. He also asked departments to conduct timely trial runs of all arrangements before the commencement of the yatra.
Maharaj stressed that adequate arrangements must be made along the Kanwar routes, including cleanliness, drinking water, toilets, healthcare services, electricity, lighting, resting shelters, and other essential facilities. He also instructed officials to organize flower showers from helicopters during the pilgrimage as a symbol of Uttarakhand’s tradition of “Atithi Devo Bhava” and to warmly welcome devotees.
Cabinet Minister Pradeep Batra also directed all departments to finalize their preparations in close coordination. He emphasized that traffic management plans, parking facilities, diversion routes, and crowd control mechanisms should undergo trial runs to identify and rectify any shortcomings in advance.
District Magistrate Mayur Dixit presented a detailed overview of the preparations being undertaken by various departments. Senior Superintendent of Police Navneet Singh Bhullar and Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Nisha Yadav briefed the meeting on the proposed security and traffic management plans.
Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop instructed all departments to work in close coordination to ensure the smooth and successful conduct of the Kanwar Yatra.
The meeting was attended by public representatives and senior officials from various departments, who reviewed the ongoing preparations and discussed measures to ensure the successful organization of Kanwar Mela 2026.
