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The Odisha authorities has started preparations for the Rath Yatra 7 months successful beforehand to guarantee zero-error arrangements for the mega festival, which saw three deaths owed to a stampede successful 2025, officials said connected Wednesday (January 14, 2026).
Chief Secretary Anu Garg chaired a preparatory gathering connected Tuesday (January 13) evening and asked officials to larn from past year's lapses and marque preparations connected however to debar them successful the adjacent festival.
"I person urged each the departments to place errors from the Rath Yatra of erstwhile years and instrumentality corrective measures. Seven months are near for the mega event, during which 1 tin marque error-free planning," she told reporters.
The gathering was attended by DGP YB Khurania, DG of Fire Services Sudhansu Sarangi, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hemant Sharma, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration's Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee, Puri Collector Dibyajyoti Parida and Puri SP Prateek Singh, among others As per practice, the main caput holds a state-level preparatory gathering for the festival 4 months up of the event. This year, Rath Yatra volition beryllium held connected July 16.
Asked wherefore the gathering was held truthful aboriginal this time, she said, "We bash not privation to instrumentality immoderate chance. Every section should commencement drafting up foolproof plans from present on."
During the Rath Yatra festival past year, 3 radical were killed, and respective others were injured successful a stampede. Besides, the hold successful chariot pulling besides caused resentment among the devotees.
A monolithic nationalist outrage forced Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to apologise for the lapses.
An authoritative said the absorption of the gathering was mostly connected assemblage management, sanitation, h2o supply, infrastructure, information and postulation management.
"As the assemblage swells each twelvemonth during Rath Yatra, the perpetration should beryllium augmented proportionally. We cannot repetition the aforesaid look and the aforesaid yardstick for the absorption of a mega lawsuit similar the Rath Yatra. It should beryllium dynamic and accommodating," helium said.
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Last year, astir 10 lakh radical participated successful the festival successful the seaside town, helium added.
The temple requires 865 logs for chariot-making each year. Since 47 logs person been successful store from past year, the medication has started making arrangements for the remaining 818 logs, for which the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Nayagarh is working, a connection said.
Ms. Garg, who headed the enquiry into the 2025 stampede, has instructed the DGP to debar excess crowding adjacent the chariot during the procession.
Apart from this, it was decided not to let escaped nutrient organisation connected the Grand Road, which causes crowding. Parking spaces for astir 500 cars volition beryllium made disposable for creaseless absorption of traffic, she said.
