Rath Yatra 2018: CCTV, GPS to study better crowd control

The Gujarat Police, to ensure that they deliver a better crowd control this year as compared to last year, they have installed 17 CCTV cameras in 17 of the vehicles which will be a part of the main procession.

The three raths will also have one camera each in front of them; so will other vehicles like the ones carrying the tablues and other vehicles close to the rath. Besides security reason, these cameras will also be used to collect data on crowd control.

The cops aim to find out how they can manage the crowd better using the footages. A senior police official said that, "What usually happens is that there are too many people who gather in front of the rath, thus leading to stampede sort of situations. These cameras will be used to study the situation."

During last year's rath yatra too, they had installed several cameras at the Jagannath temple near the entry gate to study the crowd. By looking at last year's data, they have made a lot of changes in the entry gate facilities to manage the crowd.

A senior official of the technical team said, "Last year, we saw that the people would create chaos while coming inside the temple. So this time, we have made systematic barricades, etc to make sure it happens smoothly."

Apart from CCTV footages to track the yatra, there will also be GPS systems in all 17 vehicles that will be a part of the procession. It will allow them to track the location of the vehicles.

PAST PRECEDENT

Cops had used cameras near the entry gate to study the crowd last year. By looking at last year’s data, they have made a lot of changes in the entry gate facilities to manage the crowd this year.