Mock drill ahead of Lairai Zatra in Shirgao

PANAJI
Ahead of the Devi Lairai Zatra at Shirgao, the Goa administration will conduct a mock drill on Saturday night to test law and order, crowd control and fire safety arrangements, as authorities have stepped up preparations to prevent any repeat of last year’s stampede.
The drill, scheduled around 9 pm, will be carried out jointly by the Collectorate, police, fire and emergency services, traffic police and temple authorities, sources said.
“The crowd management, fire safety, etc., would be tested during the mock drill on Saturday at 9 pm. All the government authorities, including the Collectorate, Police, Fire, traffic, etc., would be a part of it along with temple authorities,” the source said.
Hundreds of police personnel, volunteers and members of the disaster response authority, among others, would be deployed to ensure the smooth movement of devotees and avert any stampede-like incident.
The Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services has created eight zones at the venue and set up a full-fledged control room as part of its preparedness plan. Director Nitin Raiker said 60 fire personnel will be deployed round the clock, along with six fire tenders and two to three motorcycle response systems. "We have also set up a Command Control Centre, which is a recently procured equipment. Through this, we will be able to locate where the personnel and fire tenders are placed," he said, adding that a new communication system is also installed for better coordination among the firefighters.
On the traffic front, the Traffic Department has announced diversions and designated parking arrangements for vehicles approaching the temple from various routes. Cars and two-wheelers coming from the Thivim side will be diverted at the newly constructed bypass road at Assonora for parking along the bypass stretch.
Buses coming from the Thivim side will be diverted at the Assonora bus stand and routed for parking at the open ground of the Irrigation Department at Mulgao.
Buses, cars and two-wheelers coming from the Bicholim, Sanquelim and Valpoi side will be diverted at Poira and directed towards parking areas behind the Lairai temple at Shirgao, as well as the premises of the Salgaoncar mining site and Chowgule mining site.
Authorities have requested motorists to take note of the diversions, plan their journeys accordingly and cooperate with the traffic police to ensure smooth vehicular movement. The Devi Lairai Zatra will be celebrated on April 21, while the Kaulotsav will continue from April 22 to April 25.