More than 500 AI-enabled cameras will monitor Katra town and the 12-km pilgrimage route to the Vaishno Devi shrine during the Shardiya Navratra festival, with authorities using facial recognition and automated alerts to strengthen security and manage crowds.
Anticipating a heavy rush of pilgrims, Reasi Police has strengthened security arrangements across Katra and the shrine route. The arrangements were reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by Sachin Kumar Vaishya, Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), at the Board’s Central Office in Katra. Special nakas have been set up at entry points, while Quick Response Teams (QRTs) of the J&K Police and CRPF will be deployed at strategic locations. Vaishya also reviewed disaster management preparedness, including mock drills, additional firefighting arrangements and coordination between the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Shrine Board’s Disaster Management Task Force. Additional handheld RFID scanners and manpower will be deployed at Banganga, Adhkuwari, Himkoti and Bhawan to ensure verification of pilgrims. He also directed officials to make optimum use of the ICCC for real-time monitoring and coordination, along with regular public announcements, joint beat monitoring, designated holding areas and improved wireless communication to help manage crowds. Verification of pithoo and pony operators will also be intensified to prevent impersonation and ensure that only registered service providers operate along the pilgrimage route. Sanitation, drinking water facilities and illumination of dark spots in Katra and along the route were also reviewed. The SSP Reasi and the CRPF commandant briefed the meeting on the multi-tier security arrangements already in place. Authorities have also issued advisories asking pilgrims to follow queue discipline and avoid carrying heavy luggage.
The nine-day festival will be held from October 11 to 20. READ | 4 Months On, No FIR Yet In Vaishno Devi’s Rs 550 Crore-Silver ‘Scandal’ SSP Reasi Mukund Tibrewal briefed the meeting on security, crowd management and traffic arrangements.
The cameras will be linked to an Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) and will be used for real-time crowd monitoring, identifying suspicious persons and alerting authorities about unattended baggage, officials said. The CEO said possession of a valid RFID card would be mandatory for every pilgrim. Essential rescue equipment will be kept ready across all sectors, officials said.
