Odisha: 4 commandants, 450 officers 70 Platoons Force set to ensure safety during Jagannath Rath Yatra

Speaking to the reporters, IGP (Central Range) S Praveen Kumar said, "Appropriate security arrangements have been made for the Jagannath Rath Yatra. Four commandants, 450 officers, and 70 Platoons of the Force have been arranged. We are using artificial intelligence this time, and CCTVs have been installed."

On traffic arrangements, IGP said, "Traffic arrangements are also included in this. Two senior officers will handle traffic inside and outside, which will be divided into zones and sectors. We will also issue a traffic advisory. For drones, we will issue an advisory for no-fly zones."

IGP Praveen Kumar welcomed the YouTubers coming to the Yatra and said they should promote the Jagannath culture.

During the festival, three deities - Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra are drawn by devotees in three massive wooden chariots to Gundicha Temple, where they reside for a week and then return to the Jagannath temple.

Last month, a four-member National Security Guard (NSG) commando team visited the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri to conduct a routine security review.

Speaking to the media, Superintendent of Police (SP), Puri, Vinit Agrawal said, "A four-member team of NSG commandos has come here to review the security around Shri Jagannath temple as part of a routine process which is part of their annual calendar."

The elite NSG team''s visit is aimed at assessing existing security measures at the temple, one of the most revered and heavily visited pilgrimage sites in India. Officials said the review included inspection of entry and exit points, crowd management protocols, emergency response mechanisms, and coordination among local police and temple security staff.

The Shri Jagannath Temple, which draws lakhs of devotees yearly, especially during the annual Rath Yatra, remains a high-security zone, with multiple layers of protection and surveillance. (ANI)