Magh Mela: As Prayagraj prepares for one crore pilgrims on Makar Sankranti, there is a huge queue

Magh Mela: Huge throngs gathered at the Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on the festival of Ekadashi as the current Magh Mela neared a pivotal stage. As the authorities imposed strict security and ongoing police supervision across the mela region, the images depict people swarming to take a holy bath. Makar Sankranti snan, the season’s second main bathing rite, is scheduled for January 15. Preparations have now accelerated for an anticipated turnout of over 1 crore pilgrims after the successful Paush Purnima snan on January 3, which attracted over 31 lakh devotees.

Huge preparations for record-breaking audiences
In order to handle the anticipated spike, which is almost three times more than the number of devotees who took the holy plunge at Magh Mela 2024—roughly 28.95 lakh—authorities have prepared a comprehensive plan. To guarantee easy mobility, special preparations have been undertaken at the ghats. In order to minimize the amount of walking that devotees must do, parking zones have also been placed closer to the bathing locations.

According to officials, 12,100-foot bathing ghats have been set up with amenities including restrooms, changing rooms, and designated walkways. Additionally, a network of 42 makeshift parking lots has been established, which can hold more than one lakh cars. Golf carts and bike-taxi services have also been set up around the Mela area to help the elderly and those with disabilities.

Infrastructure, sanitation, and water improvements
The Ganga Barrage in Kanpur releases around 8,000 cusecs of water every day to keep the water levels at the sacred confluence sufficient. In order to improve the water quality, which is continuously checked, authorities have also plugged all 81 drains that go into the rivers. With 3,300 personnel mobilized, 25,880 toilets erected, and 11,000 dustbins positioned around the region, sanitation has been given first importance. To guarantee a mela zone free of open defecation and zero discharge, suction machines and other equipment are being used.

Increased security with multi-layer monitoring
The region has been split up into 42 outposts and 17 police station zones, Magh Mela Superintendent of Police Neeraj Pandey told news agency PTI. Twenty fire stations, seven fire outposts, twenty watchtowers, a water police station, a main control room, and four sub-control rooms further bolster security. Additionally, paramilitary troops have been used. To guarantee one-way traffic, authorities have installed two kilometers of river-line barricading and more than eight kilometers of deep-water barricading. In order to facilitate crowd monitoring, density analysis, and incident reporting, more than 400 CCTV cameras—including AI-enabled systems—have been deployed around the city and mela.