Bhubaneswar: Additional Director General of Police and Rath Yatra Overall In-charge Soumendra Priyadarshi on Friday said that Suna Besha poses a bigger challenge for the police than the Bahuda Yatra of Lord Jagannath.
Addressing a press conference in Puri, Priyadarshi said usually 1 million devotees come to Puri to witness Suna Besha. Considering the massive gathering witnessed during Bahuda Yatra, special arrangements have been made for traffic management this time.
“The biggest challenge is Suna Besha. More than 1 million people come to see Suna Besha. Therefore, traffic is a big challenge for the police,” he said. He added that a large number of devotees are expected to arrive from districts like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Berhampur in the evening.
To manage the rush, three dedicated parking lots have been created for buses. Arrangements have also been made for parking of about 8,500 four-wheelers and 30,000 two-wheelers. The police have taken help of SMS alerts along with LED displays, FM radio, social media and mainstream media to spread information and guidelines.
“The police request all devotees to follow the guidelines given. The police will give information on LED screens at places like Uttar Chhack and Lingipur,” Priyadarshi said.
He further said that in case of rain, vehicles will be allowed to park on the roadside.To control traffic, 20 platoons of traffic force will be deployed across the city during Suna Besha.
