Authorities in Andhra Pradesh have registered 14,488 volunteers from 39 voluntary organisations to support pilgrim services during the Godavari Pushkaralu-2027, with deployments planned for ghat safety, traffic management, sanitation, medical assistance, food distribution and public information.
East Godavari collector Keerthi Chekuri announced the figures while reviewing preparations in Rajamahendravaram with Superintendent of Police D. Narasimha Kishore and Rajamahendravaram Municipal Commissioner Rahul Meena. The registrations cover 11,625 volunteers from 22 organisations in the Rajamahendravaram division and 2,863 volunteers from 17 organisations in the Kovvur division.
The number is substantially higher than the 5,368 volunteers from 30 voluntary organisations who provided services during the 2015 Pushkaralu, Chekuri said. The increase is expected to expand the administrative support available at river ghats, junctions, temples, queue lines, transport hubs and other venues used by pilgrims.
Chekuri directed officials to make use of voluntary organisations, youth groups and individual volunteers to improve facilities and services during the religious event. Volunteers will assist police at ghats and crowded locations, help manage queues and traffic, maintain cleanliness at ghats and food distribution centres, and guide pilgrims on the disposal of puja materials, plastic and used plates.
The planned medical and support services will include assistance for elderly and differently abled pilgrims, including the use of wheelchairs and ramps. Volunteers will also administer oral rehydration solution to people experiencing dehydration and help transport those requiring medical attention to designated camps.
Help desks are planned at railway stations, bus stands and Pushkaralu venues. Officials have been asked to identify skilled local youth and volunteers from organisations including the National Cadet Corps, National Service Scheme, ISKCON, Sri Sathya Sai groups and NRI organisations. The police will provide special training wherever required and supervise volunteer deployments.
Narasimha Kishore said youth from organisations including ABVP and the Red Cross would be used according to their capabilities, particularly for traffic management and drone operations. The Red Cross and ABVP will each deploy 500 volunteers for crowd management and drone-related operations, according to the report.
Food and drinking water arrangements will also involve voluntary organisations. Representatives of Sri Sathya Sai said the organisation would provide annadanam to between 25,000 and 30,000 people a day, besides distributing milk to children and drinking water to pilgrims at railway stations, RTC complexes and other locations. Rajasthan Seva Samithi and Jain Seva Samithi said they would provide food to 10,000 pilgrims a day with the support of 500 volunteers.
The arrangements place voluntary groups alongside the district administration, police and municipal authorities in managing the demands created by a large pilgrimage. The next steps include identifying volunteers, assigning them to operational areas and completing the training required for safety, crowd control, sanitation, medical assistance and information services.
