The Patna district administration is all set to deploy drones to manage the four day-long mass gatherings for the annual Chhath festival by the river bank, which begins on November 17 this year. During the festival, devotees throng to rivers to offer prayers to the rising and setting sun. Managing the crowds during the festival is a difficult task for the district administration. In 2012, a stampede during the Chhath festival left 18 dead and over a dozen injured in Patna.
“As the flow of devotees increases significantly, elaborate arrangements are being made to ensure a safe and incident-free celebration. Different departments are working together to make the festival incident-free,” Patna Divisional Commissioner Kumar Ravi.
There are 108 big and small ghats in Patna where devotees throng to perform prayers to the setting and rising sun. However, some of the ghats are have been declared dangerous for devotees.
