By Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati : In view of the ensuing Ambubachi Mela, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal held a review meeting to assess the preparations put into place for the successful celebrations of this annual socio-spiritual congregation. The festival will be held from 22 June until 25 June, 2019. The meeting which was also attended by Tourism Minister Chandan Brahma had a threadbare discussion on several aspects of the Mela. Chief Minister Sonowal directed all line departments and district administration to put everything in place for the smooth conduct of the festival. Sonowal pointed out that since lakhs of devotees from across the country and outside will converge on the Neelachal hill the abode of Shaktipeeth Kamakhya, all arrangements including fool-proof security measures should be put into place for the convenience of the devotees.

He took stock of the transportation, drinking water, medical, electricity, cleanliness etc and observed that under no circumstances these facilities should be undermined. He also directed all the departments to be on their toes to embrace 25 lakh devotees who will be coming to Kamakhya during the festival. Highlighting the importance of Kamakhya Peeth as a centre of importance in the cultural- spiritual tourism circuit in the country, Chief Minister Sonowal requested all the core departments to put their head and heart to showcase the unique characteristics of Assam’s socio- cultural and spiritual tourism during the Mela. He also said, “Assam is known for its hospitality and age-old tradition of according highest respect to pilgrims and visitors and this year’s Ambubachi Mela will be no exception as the state keeping up its tradition on a constant high, will embrace lakhs of devotees during the five-day religious congregation”. He also asked the departments to leave no stone unturned for pressing in all essential and required facilities for the convenience of the pilgrims. He also asked the PHE department to ensure sufficient purified drinking water for the devotees who will be put up at make-shift camps in the city. He also asked Guwahati Municipal Corporation to supply un-interrupted drinking water in Kamakhya temple during Ambubachi Mela. Considering the huge footfalls of devotees including the specially challenged ones, Sonowal asked Assam State Transport Corporation to arrange substantial fleet of buses for to and fro journey of the pilgrims.

He also asked Health and Family Welfare Department to ensure round the clock treatment facilities on the premises of Kamakhya temple including setting up of temporary special cells for the treatment of babies and aged pilgrims.  Chairman of Assam Tourism Development Corporation Jayanta Malla Baruah, Principal Secretary Tourism Rajesh Prasad, Commissioner City Police Dipak Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup Metro Biswajit Pegu, Doloi Samaj and senior officers from each department were present at the meeting.With just a few days left for the Ambubachi 2019, and the historic Kamakhya temple gearing up to celebrate the festival like bygone years, organizers’ body announced that the door of the main Kamakhya Temple would be closed at 1:40 am on June 22 as part of the Ambubachi Mela and would be reopened at 6 am on June 26. The temple management committee will also stop issuing special tickets to Army personnel from June 21 to 30. In order to maintain discipline, despite its 120 permanent security guards, the management committee will deploy 400 Scouts and Guides volunteers, 400 general volunteers and 140 temporary security guards. It will also install altogether 300 closed circuit cameras in and around the temple premises. To maintain cleanliness the committee will deploy 200 contractual workers along with its 210 permanent workers.

The committee also urged all devotees to keep the temple premises tobacco-free during the Mela days. The State government will be spending around Rs 23 lakh in maintaining cleanliness in and around the Kamakhya temple along with supply of drinking water through temporary pipelines and illumination of streets. The government will spend the fund through the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) which is responsible for maintaining cleanliness during the Mela. This time the GMC has conceived a slogan: ‘The Best can also be Improved’ in its preparation for the Mela. Around 100 dustbins will be placed in and around the temple and rest camp premises. To keep the city open-defecation-free during the Mela days, the government will spend more than Rs 30 lakh. Altogether 35 modular toilets, 545 latrines, 275 bathrooms, and 30 toilets will be set up at the rest camps located at Fancy Bazar, Pandu, Naharbari and Baripara. The PHE department will supply water pouches at the camps and other locations during the Mela days. The department is preparing to supply lakhs of water pouches to the devotees during the Mela. A huge rest camp for devotees will be set up in the old jail campus located at Fancy Bazar.