India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
The
Kanwar
Yatra
2025
in
Uttar
Pradesh
is
underway
with
massive
administrative
preparations,
especially
in
high-traffic
regions
like
Meerut.
Due
to
the
increasing
number
of
pilgrims
and
rising
tensions
along
the
Yatra
route,
the
Meerut
district
administration
has
declared
school
holidays
from
July
16
to
July
23.
This
decision
was
made
to
ensure
smooth
traffic
flow
and
maintain
public
safety
during
the
religious
event,
which
draws
lakhs
of
Kanwariyas
each
year.
District
Magistrate
Dr.
V.K.
Singh
announced
that
all
recognised
schools-including
government,
private,
UP
Board,
CBSE,
and
ICSE
institutions-will
remain
closed
throughout
the
eight-day
period.
Schools
will
reopen
on
July
24.
Authorities
have
made
it
clear
that
strict
action
will
be
taken
against
any
school
that
remains
open
in
violation
of
the
order.
To
manage
the
heavy
vehicular
load,
the
police
enforced
one-way
traffic
on
the
Delhi-Meerut
highway
starting
Monday
afternoon.
However,
the
move
backfired
within
hours
as
a
massive
traffic
jam
stretched
nearly
10
km
in
Muradnagar.
Commuters
faced
delays
of
two
to
three
hours,
with
even
ambulances,
school
buses,
and
VIP
vehicles
stuck
in
the
gridlock.
The
extreme
heat
worsened
the
situation
for
many
stranded
on
the
roads.
Local
residents
have
criticised
the
decision
for
being
poorly
timed.
Umesh
Sharma
from
Meerut
stated
that
the
one-way
rule
was
imposed
prematurely,
even
though
the
Kanwar
rush
had
not
fully
started.
His
concerns
reflect
a
wider
sentiment
that
while
regulation
is
necessary,
it
must
be
implemented
logically
and
with
better
timing.
This
year’s
Yatra
has
already
been
marred
by
reports
of
vandalism
and
clashes
in
places
like
Haridwar,
Muzaffarnagar,
Ghaziabad,
and
Meerut.
In
response,
law
enforcement
has
ramped
up
security
measures,
including
additional
police
deployment,
mobile
patrol
units,
and
24/7
surveillance
using
CCTV
cameras
and
drones.
Roads
have
been
partially
closed
during
peak
hours
to
minimise
contact
between
pilgrims
and
local
commuters.
To
support
civic
needs,
the
municipal
corporation
has
provided
multipurpose
toilet
points,
clean
drinking
water,
and
sanitation
facilities.
Medical
teams,
ambulances,
and
first-aid
centres
have
been
strategically
placed
along
the
Kanwar
route
to
manage
health
emergencies.
Parents
in
Meerut
have
largely
welcomed
the
school
closures,
citing
concerns
about
their
children’s
safety
and
the
risk
of
spending
long
hours
in
traffic.
As
no
exams
are
scheduled
during
this
time,
the
holiday
is
not
expected
to
impact
academic
progress.
Overall,
while
the
situation
has
led
to
some
disruption,
the
administration
is
striving
to
strike
a
balance
between
religious
devotion
and
public
order.
Efforts
are
being
made
to
update
and
improve
plans
based
on
ground
realities,
with
the
aim
of
reducing
inconvenience
for
pilgrims,
locals,
and
students
alike.
