Mirzapur (UP), March 17 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the Maa Vindhyavasini Temple in Mirzapur on Tuesday and prayed for the prosperity of the state, Uttar Pradesh, while directing officials to make the entire fair area, including Mirzapur, free from single-use plastic.
Adityanath offered a red 'chunari' (scarf) to the goddess at the Vidhyachal temple and performed parikrama of the temple, the UP government said in a statement.
Addressing the meeting, Adityanath said, "Special attention should be given to ensure convenience for pilgrims and smooth darshan at temples during Navratri and Ram Navami."
He instructed officials to make the entire fair area, including Mirzapur, single-use plastic-free, and to ensure cleanliness, road repairs, and other arrangements in view of the fair.
The Vindhyachal area should be beautified and presented as a clean and attractive place for devotees, the CM said.
He also said that door-to-door garbage collection should be ensured to improve sanitation.
Cleanliness at ghats, proper road connectivity, and adequate safety arrangements for bathing must be ensured. Barricading and lighting arrangements should be strengthened, and proper security measures should be made for the safety of the general public and women throughout the fair area, he added.
Considering the summer season, arrangements for clean drinking water must be ensured across the fair area and the entire district.
There should be no shortage of drinking water anywhere. Mobile toilets, electricity supply, and deployment of NDRF, SDRF, divers, and water police along the Ganga river should be ensured. Boatmen should be provided life jackets. Support from voluntary organizations and civil defense members should also be taken, the CM directed.
"Proper arrangements should be made at every shop to ensure the safety of devotees' belongings," he said.
Efforts should be made so that devotees return via the same route used for darshan to avoid inconvenience.
Adequate CCTV cameras should be installed for security. Beggars should be gathered at designated places and provided food through community kitchens.
Further, CM stated that all e-rickshaws and autos should be verified.
"There should be no complaints of overcharging by hotels and shops during the fair. Police personnel must behave courteously with devotees. Public facilities should be ensured at bus stations, railway stations, shelters, and other key locations," he said.
The CM said, "Development works and ongoing projects should be completed on time with a strong focus on quality."
"Contractors are bound by agreements to carry out repairs for 10 years after project handover. Any negligence will invite action. Officials should also verify drinking water projects along with public representatives. Training should be provided to plumbers for maintenance work," Adityanath said.
District Magistrate Pawan Kumar Gangwar informed that the fair area has been divided into 10 zones and 21 sectors. Surveillance will be conducted through 206 CCTV cameras, 6 AI-enabled cameras, and 4 drones.
Administrative and police control rooms have been set up, and extensive security arrangements have been made on key routes.
The fair area will have 21 parking sites, drinking water facilities at 50 locations, shelters, lighting at ghats and roads, 15 permanent transformers and 4 reserve transformers