Overview
- Prayagraj’s Magh Mela recorded about 85 lakh bathers on day one, with preparations for up to 1–1.5 crore on Thursday’s main snan.
- At Gangasagar, officials counted roughly 85 lakh pilgrims by 3 pm, as the 24-hour Shahi Snan runs from 1:19 pm Wednesday to 1:19 pm Thursday.
- Large sanitation and water-management deployments included 25,880 toilets, 3,300 workers and 8,000 cusecs released from the Kanpur barrage to maintain levels at the Sangam.
- Security and rescue were reinforced with 15,000 police at Sagar Island, AI-enabled camera networks, rescue water drones, river ambulances, and river patrols by NDRF, Coast Guard and Navy, with arrests over theft, hundreds of missing-person reunions, two deaths at Gangasagar and multiple medical airlifts reported.
- Traffic plans featured phased road diversions, a one-way system and temporary closures at Prayagraj stations, eight ring-rail services and 1,800 buses to move crowds.