Gaya: District magistrate (DM) Shashank Shubhankar has constituted 21 committees to ensure proper preparations for the annual fortnight Pitripaksh Mela, which will be held from Sept 25 to Oct 10 this year. At the first review meeting on Wednesday evening, the DM assigned specific responsibilities to senior nodal officers, nodal officers and committee members, directing them to complete all preparations within stipulated timelines.“The focus this year will be on strengthening accommodation, sanitation, drinking water supply, healthcare, electricity, traffic management, security, disaster response, information dissemination and publicity to ensure a smoother experience for pilgrims,” the DM said.He added that the annual event attracts lakhs of pilgrims from across India and abroad, who visit Gaya to perform pinddaan, tarpan and shraddh rituals for their ancestors. The administration has also invited public suggestions for the upcoming spiritual event.The DM said repairs of roads, drains, manholes and drainage systems across the mela area have been prioritised to ensure smooth movement of pilgrims. “A comprehensive traffic management plan has been prepared, including designated parking zones, police assistance centres, night transport services, and enhanced connectivity from the railway station and bus stand to major religious sites,” he said.To strengthen security, adequate numbers of magistrates and police personnel will be deployed, temporary police camps will be set up, and the mela area will be monitored through CCTV surveillance. Additional security arrangements will be made at sensitive locations, including the deployment of women police personnel.“As part of pilgrim safety measures, crowd management, fire safety, water safety, deployment of SDRF and fire service teams, and emergency response systems will be strengthened to minimise risks during the event,” the DM said.
