Puri: In a first-of-its-kind initiative to provide relief from the sweltering heat during the annual Rath Yatra, the Odisha Fire Services Department will deploy a multipurpose articulated water tower capable of creating artificial rain over large gatherings of devotees.
The high-tech machine, stationed at the Puri Fire Brigade unit by the state government, is primarily used for firefighting operations in high-rise buildings and hotels.
During the Rath Yatra, beginning on July 16, however, it will be pressed into service to spray water if temperatures soar and pilgrims experience heat-related stress.
Equipped with a high-capacity water tank, the articulated water tower can spray water from a considerable height, rotate 360 degrees, and cover an area within a radius of nearly 100 metres.
The system is expected to help bring down temperatures in the immediate vicinity of the three chariots, where lakhs of devotees congregate during the annual festival.
