The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Kapil Dixit, TNN | Nov 6, 2012, 04.39AM IST
High-tech help to find the lost at Mahakumbh Mela:
ALLAHABAD: Kumbh Mela administration is making arrangements to equip lost-and-found camps with all the hi-tech electronic gadgets. In fact, the Kumbh mela authorities have planned to offer computer sets equipped with web-cameras to organizers of the 'bhoole bhatke shivir' with Internet facility to help keep constant touch with police authorities to trace out missing persons and reunite them with their kin.
Additional district magistrate (ADM) Kumbh Mela, Ashutosh Kumar Dwivedi, told TOI "We have been planning to offer web-cam equipped computer sets to volunteers of such camps with the objective to compile data including names, address and photographs of missing ones and sharing data/details with police authorities of the state and neighboring districts to trace out locations of missing persons.
He added, "Earlier, the work was done manually but it was hard to compile data. Once the volunteers are be able to take photographs and other details of missing persons, they would be seeking the help of Allahabad and neighboring districts' police to trace out families of missing persons.
Kumbh mela authorities have also planned to set up camps at all sectors of the mela area and offering all sorts of assistance to volunteers to make them reunite with their families.
Dwivedi, meanwhile, pointed out that the camps had earlier been set up by Raja Ram Tewariduring Magh, Ardh-Kumbh and Kumbh melas. Tiwari had been able to reunite more than 10 lakh persons with their families till date.
Mela officials informed the noble deed was started by octogenarian Raja Ram Tewari in 1946 and so far, he had already reunited over 10.28 lakh persons with their families. These were the persons separated from their families during the congregation. Mahakumbh commences from January 14, 2013 and the mela will be another such occasion, when the services of the octogenarian and his team will be much in demand.
"Since 1946, 'bhoole bhatke shivir' has reunited 10,29,301 people including 20,905 children with their families during five maha kumbhs, six ardh kumbhs and 54 magh melas," informed mela officials.
"When a person meets his family member through volunteers' efforts, it seems like God has accepted the prayers," said a volunteer working for the camp for the last five years.
The Kumbh mela administration will be installing public address systems on and around the mela campus, where announcements will be made about missing persons and requests will also be made for complainants to reach the shivir and meet their missing family members. In fact these announcements are made round the clock by the volunteers and cops as well till the missing person is reunited with the family.
With 10 crore pilgrims and devotees expected to visit Mahakumbh next year, mela administration has planned to computerise all records and 30 police stations and 40 police outposts (to be set up during Mahakumbh) exchanging inputs regarding missing persons.
"Earlier, after receiving inputs regarding a lost person, volunteers announce their details on the public address system" said an official adding "This time, volunteers with the help of police and mela authorities will compile data of missing persons on computers and share it with other police stations," he added.
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