Meerut: In a high-level review meeting ahead of the kanwar yatra , which starts from next week, UP DGP OP Singh on Friday said that helicopters and drones will be used on a large scale to aerially monitor the yatra.“Choppers and drone camera will be extensively used for crowd management and monitoring the yatra routes to ensure smooth and steady movement of devotees. More CCTV cameras will be installed on routes to keep an eye on the gray areas,” the DGP said.In a review meeting jointly chaired by principal secretary (home) Arvind Kumar and DGP OP Singh in Meerut, the former said that plans are afoot to develop alternate routes along Ganga canals in the region. Kumar said that instructions have already been issued to PWD to prepare a roadmap to develop routes along Gangnahars in the region.“This will help us divert traffic during kanwar yatra to alternate routes along these canals. Other amenities like rest houses, toilets and drinking water will also be made available on these routes,” Kumar said.DGP Singh said that a mini taskforce comprising personnel from police and administration will be camping at several spots. The force will be equipped to respond to an untoward incident, if there is any. “The idea is to maximise coordination between all concerned departments including police so that the response time is minimum in case of an emergency,” the DGP said.Apart from police and administrative officials from Meerut, Moradabad and Saharanpur range, nodal officers from neighbouring states like Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan were present at the meeting as part of the coordination exercise.During the meeting, senior officials also resolved to keep the upcoming auspicious month eco-friendly by minimising the use of plastic in the wake of the recent ban imposed across the state. “We would urge the kanwar committee to avoid plastic products and switch to eco-friendly products like paper/leaf plates and cups to serving food and other eatables,” Kumar said.

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