GUWAHATI: In a bid to propagate religious tourism in the state, the tourism department along with the district administration is coming up with new initiatives for the Ambubachi Mela to be held at Kamakhya temple from June 22 to June 26. The department has been allotted Rs 1.27 crore to promote the mela.

One of the initiatives taken up by them includes lighting up the Umananda Island located in the middle of the Brahmaputra River and the Kamakhya temple.

The religious fair attracts thousands of people causing the authorities to be faced with hygiene and sanitation problems every year. The district administration and the local municipal authority are generally at their wits' ends while managing the religious fervour of the massive crowd. The department and the district administration will be stressing on hygiene and security. Close to 700 volunteers will be put into service.

"We have taken up some new initiatives for the first time. There will be three camps at Pandu station, Kamakhya station and Sonaram High School field. Importance will be laid on cleanliness, hygiene and security. We may cross the budget as we are expecting close to three to four lakh people and most of them will be from outside the state. We will also be focusing on effective crowd management," said Himangshu Shekhar Das, secretary of tourism department.

The fund has been provided to the tourism department this year and they will be working with the Kamrup (metro) administration as per the decision of the government. They have already started publicity campaigns both within and outside the state and is also working on providing various facilities like toilets, drinking water, tented accommodation and others for the pilgrims. The tourism department has set up reception facilities at the Pandu and Kamakhya railway stations, ISBT, ASTC bus station and Sonaram High School field, besides tourist information centres at the airport and Guwahati Railway Station.

There will be 50 free bus services available for the people, 10 portable toilets in the city, 280 toilets atop the Kamakhya hill in and around the temple vicinity, 100 people engaged in cleaning, 75 medical officers, 98 CCTV cameras installed, a surveillance team, grievance cells and control rooms.

"This is a trial and error process and there could be lapses. The finance ministry has also allocated Rs 5 crore for the Kamakhya temple infrastructure. The illumination of Umananda Island and the Kamakhya temple will be starting on Friday," said Das.