NMC readies Deekshabhoomi for 70th Dhammachakra Pravartan Din, with CCTV, domes and a control room

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation has begun detailed planning for the 70th Dhammachakra Pravartan Din, when lakhs of Buddhist followers are expected to gather at Deekshabhoomi. Municipal Commissioner Dr Vipin Itankar took a review of the arrangements on Tuesday, October 6, and told the civic body, the district administration and the Social Welfare department to deliver the facilities jointly.

The day marks the moment on October 14, 1956, when Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar embraced Buddhism at Deekshabhoomi along with lakhs of his followers. Every year it is observed on a large scale in the city on Vijayadashami. Because devotees travel from across the country, the administration has to handle security, crowd control, water, cleanliness, health, accommodation and traffic over these days.

The meeting took place in the commissioner's conference hall in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Administrative Building at the NMC headquarters. Three Additional Commissioners, Ankit, Muruganantham M. and Milind Meshram, were there, as was Sukeshini Telgote, Assistant Commissioner of the Social Welfare department. The civic engineering and health wings were represented by Leena Upadhye, the NMC chief engineer, and fire chief Rajendra Uchke, along with Dr Deepak Selokar, the Medical Health Officer. Superintending Engineers Dr Shweta Banerjee and Vijay Gurubakshani also attended, as did Executive Engineers Shrikant Waikar, Rajendra Rathod, Manoj Gadre and Rajiv Gautam. Dr Gajendra Mahalle, who heads sanitation, Gulhane of the Public Works Department, Assistant Commissioners Dhananjay Jadhav and Rajkumar Meshram, transport administrative officer Yogesh Lunge, and several other officers, staff and police personnel completed the gathering.

Dr Itankar directed that all basic amenities be in place from Sunday, October 18, to Thursday, October 22. He asked the NMC, the district administration, the Social Welfare department and the police to coordinate, so that followers paying tribute to Dr Ambedkar face no inconvenience.

Among the measures, the whole Deekshabhoomi area will be kept under CCTV watch round the clock. A control room will be opened by the NMC to manage crowds, security and emergencies, and to give people quick help. Dedicated sanitation workers will keep the premises clean. Plans have also been drawn up so that power supply, drinking water, toilets, transport and traffic arrangements work without a break. Temporary health centres will be opened at several places so visitors can get medical attention.

For accommodation, large domes will be put up on the Deekshabhoomi premises, the Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Agricultural University campus, Mata Kacheri and the Kurvey School grounds. Temporary toilets will be built close to the domes. Lodging and toilets will also be arranged at Bezonbagh ground and Untkhana ground, where the Social Justice department and the district administration will handle accommodation. Reports differ slightly on who is responsible for the toilets there: one says the NMC, another says the three agencies together.

Many followers also bathe in Ambazari lake. To keep them safe, fire brigade teams and boats will be stationed there. Temporary changing rooms and toilets will be set up near the lake so that people have no need to enter the water. Dr Itankar further asked for additional restrooms and toilets wherever they are needed.