With just nine days left for the world-famous Puri Rath Yatra, the Odisha Police has unveiled an ironclad, multi-layered security blueprint to ensure the grand Car Festival on July 16 passes off without a single hitch.
In a high-level coordination meeting chaired by Director General of Police, Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, at the State Police Headquarters this afternoon, senior officers from the Odisha Police joined forces with top officials from the CRPF, BSF, RPF and Indian Coast Guard to finalise every aspect of security for one of the world’s largest religious gatherings.
The meeting focused on creating a seamless, error-free and highly coordinated security grid. A robust three-tier security arrangement has been finalised, backed by round-the-clock surveillance from land, sea and air. To counter any possible aerial threat, advanced anti-drone systems will be deployed across key locations, ensuring complete control over unauthorised drone activity. Joint marine patrolling involving the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Odisha Police marine units will keep the sea route secure, while NSG teams and Quick Response Teams (QRTs) will remain on standby for rapid intervention.
Special emphasis has been placed on preventing any untoward incident. Bomb Disposal Squads and sniffer dog teams will remain on high alert throughout the festival period. Anti-sabotage checks at sensitive locations will be intensified, and strict vigil will be maintained on suspicious movements.
Crime control has been made a top priority. DGP Khurania has directed police to launch special drives across all police station areas in Puri, with focused checks at hotels, lodges, maths, temples, bus stands, railway stations and labour camps. Photographs of identified habitual offenders involved in pickpocketing, theft and snatching will be prominently displayed at major public places, railway stations and RPF posts to enable swift action.
The DGP stressed that coordination between all agencies must be flawless from the grassroots level. He directed officers to ensure comfortable stay arrangements for deployed forces, proper barricading, orderly chariot pulling and smooth darshan arrangements for devotees. Special security measures have also been planned to handle large crowds and any emergency situation.
Senior officers present at the meeting included ADGP (Crime Branch) Binaytosh Mishra, IG (CRPF) Amitendra Nath Sinha, IG (Operations) Dr Deepak Kumar, IG (RPF) Shri Alok Bhora, along with other senior police officers. Puri SP Shri Prateek Singh Abhasi joined the meeting virtually.
With this comprehensive security architecture in place, the Odisha Police is confident of conducting a peaceful, orderly and incident-free Rath Yatra 2026, allowing millions of devotees to have a safe and spiritually enriching experience at the abode of Lord Jagannath.
