Bhubaneswar, July 8: With the world-famous Puri Rath Yatra 2026 scheduled to be held on July 16, the Odisha Police has finalised an extensive multi-layered security plan to ensure the smooth, safe and incident-free conduct of the annual festival.

A high-level security review meeting, chaired by Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, was held at the State Police Headquarters in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Senior officers of the Odisha Police, along with officials from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Indian Coast Guard, reviewed security arrangements and coordinated strategies for the mega religious event.

The meeting focused on the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), National Security Guard (NSG) teams and NSG Quick Response Teams (QRTs). The DGP directed Odisha Police, the RPF and the Indian Coast Guard to work in close coordination to strengthen security during the festival.

A comprehensive security blueprint has been prepared with three-tier security, surveillance by land, sea and air, crowd management, traffic regulation and emergency response forming the core of the strategy.

To counter any potential terror threat, joint maritime patrolling will be carried out by the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Odisha Police Marine Police. Quick Response Teams will be deployed on patrol vessels, while drones and advanced anti-drone systems will be used to detect and neutralise unauthorised aerial activity.

Security agencies will conduct intensive anti-sabotage checks at all vulnerable locations and keep a close watch on suspicious activities. Bomb Disposal Squads and Sniffer Dog Teams will remain on high alert throughout the festival.

The security plan also includes the deployment of armoured vehicles near the Jagannath Temple, K-9 squads, NSG-trained Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel and Special Tactical Unit (STU) teams. Special measures have also been planned to prevent stampedes through improved barricading, crowd management, coordinated chariot pulling and better coordination with the district administration.

Crime prevention and passenger safety have also been prioritised. The DGP directed strict action against habitual offenders involved in pickpocketing, theft and robbery at railway stations and on trains. Photographs of identified criminals will be displayed at major public places, railway stations and railway police stations, and shared with the RPF for coordinated monitoring.

All police stations in Puri have also been instructed to launch special enforcement drives. Hotels, lodges, monasteries, temples, bus stands, railway stations, labour camps and dharamshalas will undergo intensive verification and security checks ahead of the festival.

Emphasising zero tolerance for lapses, DGP Khurania instructed senior officers to closely monitor every aspect of the security and management plan and ensure seamless coordination among all agencies for the successful conduct of Rath Yatra 2026.

Senior officials, including Crime Branch DGP Binaytosh Mishra, Intelligence Director R.P. Koche, Additional DGP (Modernisation) Soumendra Kumar Priyadarshi, Additional DGP (Railways and Coastal Security) Arun Bothra, Additional DGP (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar, Additional DGP (SAP) Rajesh Kumar, IGP (CRPF) Amitendra Nath Sinha, IGP (Operations) Dr Deepak Kumar, and IGP (RPF) Alok Bhora, attended the meeting. IG (Central Range) Satyajit Nayak and Puri SP Prateek Singh participated virtually.