Maha Kumbh: No call drops, seamless internet at mega festival
‘Three disaster management centres have been established in the mela area to support emergency communications and ensure prompt response during any crisis situation’
Mahakumbhnagar: An expected gathering of 40 crore people at the world’s largest religious gathering for over a month and no call drops and seamless internet streaming. Telecom service providers and the Maha Kumbh Mela administration are on their toes to ensure smooth connectivity at the grand event set to witness record teledensity.
Laying down of additional optical fibre, installation of new towers and Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) and deploying Cells on Wheels (transportable towers), are among the various measures taken to ensure robust and uninterrupted connectivity in the mela area during the event.
According to officials at the Integrated Control and Command Centre (ICCC), three disaster management centres have been established in the mela area to support emergency communications and ensure prompt response during any crisis situation. “Mostly, all telecom providers have augmented their services here to ensure seamless communication for the millions of devotees and visitors.
“Three disaster management centres, operated by telecom service providers Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi, have been established in the mela area to support emergency communications and ensure prompt response during any crisis situation,” a senior official at the ICCC told PTI. “These centres have been equipped with the latest technology to provide vital communication channels in the event of natural or man-made disasters, ensuring the safety of attendees,” he added. Maha Kumbh, a mega-religious event organised every 12 years, is being held in Prayagraj from January 13 and will continue for 45 days.
Over eight crore pilgrims have so far taken a holy dip at the Sangam -- the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers and another 10 crore are expected to take the dip on Mauni Amavasya on Wednesday. The telecom operators are facing a unique challenge - millions of people gathered at a single spot, with sometimes over half a dozen people in a single square metre area, and many trying to use the internet.
According to Mahakumbh Nagar Additional District Magistrate Vivek Chaturvedi, having a seamless phone connection solves a lot of problems. “The concern of losing your loved ones in the crowd is minimised because one can easily reach them on the phone since mobile phone penetration now is much higher than it used to be in earlier Kumbhs. “Also digital payments reduce the need to carry cash, informing authorities in case of any mishap or untoward incident, everything becomes easy,” he told PTI.
The Ministry of Telecom had also instructed the telecom service providers to deploy advanced technology and optimise networks to support the massive influx of people attending the gathering. “We made special preparations to improve the mobile network and all the service providers agreed to install additional towers at Kumbh. At the same time, permanent towers have also been installed on government buildings outside the fair area, which will solve the problem of mobile connectivity in the city,” he said. To enhance public safety and convenience, telecom providers have set up 53 help desks across the mela area.
