Lucknow/Ayodhya (UP), Oct 28 (PTI) Keeping in view security concerns for the Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya, 17 bylanes connecting to Ram Ki Paidi on the banks of Saryu river have been sealed, police said on Monday.
The police have compiled lists of the residents in all colonies connected to Ram ki Paidi and Rampath, they said.
Access to Ram Ki Paidi has now been restricted to pass holders only for Deepotsav preparations. Only volunteers stationed at the ghats, officials associated with Deepotsav, and pass holders are allowed to enter the premises, they said.
Barricading has been set up in all the bylanes leading to Ram Ki Paidi.
Ayodhya Police Station Inspector Manoj Kumar Sharma said considering the security of Ram Ki Paidi, one sub-inspector and four constables have been deployed at each of the 17 bylanes.
Residents of these areas have been specially requested not to try to come out of these lanes on the day of the festival and not to go onto their rooftops. Security personnel will be present on all tall buildings in the area , he said.
A new world record will be set by lighting 28 lakh diyas on the occasion of Chhoti Diwali on October 30. Ghat in-charges and coordinators regularly guide the volunteers, who carefully arrange the diyas on the ghats after taking them out of cardboard boxes.
Each diya will be filled with mustard oil, with meticulous supervision during the process. The arrangement of diyas will be completed this evening, followed by counting on Tuesday, the officials said.
An idol of Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on January 22, a landmark event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also gave a clarion call to go beyond the grand mandir's construction to build the foundation of a "strong, capable and divine" India.
This will be the eighth Deepotsava in Ayodhya in the Yogi Adityanath regime.
With robust security measures in place for the Deepotsav celebrations, two hundred commandos have been deployed, and security drones have been activated for regular surveillance, with three security agencies tasked with this responsibility.
Two hundred commandos from ATS, STF, and CRPF will secure the Ram Temple and surrounding areas, according to officials.
To manage security arrangements during the Deepotsav, companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and PAC have set up camp in the district.
Additionally, police personnel and officers assigned from various districts and the police headquarters have also reached and been deployed at their duty points, they said.
To ensure no disruption occurs with the lamps, efforts to isolate the area have intensified, and security forces are being deployed in 12-hour shifts.
Meanwhile, the responsibility for monitoring the Saryu River has been assigned to the water police, PAC's flood relief team, and the SDRF team, equipped with steamers and gear, they added.
To ensure the safe and peaceful celebration of Diwali along with Deepotsav, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajkaran Nayar held a review meeting with officers and in-charges at the police lines auditorium on Monday.
He reviewed the action plan and the actions taken so far, providing necessary guidelines.
SSP Nayyar told reporters that security forces are being deployed as needed.
Meanwhile, the borders of Ayodhya district will be sealed from Tuesday, the police said in a statement.
In view of the Deepotsav event, the traffic police have issued an external and inter-district route diversion plan for vehicle movement. The diversion will be in effect from the morning of October 29 to late night on October 31. According to the traffic police, the diversion will apply to all heavy freight vehicles, trucks, tractors and other vehicles from outside districts.
Vehicles coming to Ayodhya from Lucknow will be diverted from Barabanki towards Jarwal road Gonda. Vehicles coming to Ayodhya from Gonda and Balrampur districts will be diverted from Mankapur towards Lucknow.
Vehicles coming to Ayodhya from Allahabad, Sultanpur, Amethi and Rae Bareli will be diverted from Purvanchal Expressway towards Basti and Gorakhpur via Ambedkarnagar. Vehicles coming to Ayodhya from Gorakhpur and Basti will be diverted from Kalwari Tanda in Ambedkarnagar towards Purvanchal Expressway.