DM Visal Kumar issues guidelines for safe rath yatra

Agartala, Jun 28, 2024, By Our Correspondent

The wake of the tragic incident at Kumarghat in Tripura’s Unakoti district, the West Tripura district administration has come up with specific guidelines on the height of chariot for lord Jagannath, an official said on Friday.Ten devotees died and 15 others were injured after a chariot of lord Jagannath hit a high tension power line at Kumargaht in Unakoti district on June 28 during ultra rath yatra, a ritual of culmination of traditional rath yatra.“We have held a meeting with all the stakeholders of rath yatra festival scheduled to commence on July 7. In West Tripura district, six religious bodies will organise rath yatra. We have asked the organizers that the chariot shall not be more than 5 feet in height to avoid Kumarghat like incident, We have also laid stress on using minimum metal use in chariot making”, District Magistrate (DM), West Tripura, Vishal Kumar told the reporters.The PWD and the Tripura Electricity Corporation Ltd (TSECL) will check the proposed chariots, he said adding the power utility body (TSECL) will also check the transmission lines on the proposed routes of rath yatra.Kumar said there will be ambulances apart from strong police’s presence during rath yatra procession to prevent any untoward incident.“We have taken all possible steps to avoid Kumarghat like situation. All the stakeholders- TSECL, PWD, traffic police, police and fire & emergency services department are involved to ensure incident free celebrations of rath yatra”, he said