Hardly any security at ghats,say locals

Despite being a known terror target,Varanasis Dashashwamedh Ghat,or the ghats near it,have had no tight security arrangements.

Despite being a known terror target,Varanasis Dashashwamedh Ghat,or the ghats near it,have had no tight security arrangements. This oldest ghat witnesses a gathering of 1,500 to 2000 visitors,including foreigners,at the time of Ganga Aarti every evening.

On Tuesday,the Sheetla Ghat,which is adjacent to the Dashashwamedh Ghat,witnessed a blast. Earlier,in February 2005,a blast at Dashashwamedh Ghat had killed seven persons.

The government has claimed the police undertakes regular exercise to sanitise the Ghat before the Aarti.

But locals said it is ineffective. They say two teams arrive at the ghat. One team,which consists of six men,instals two doorframe metal detectors at the main entrance,but rarely anyone is frisked even when the detector beeps,said a priest.

After installing the metal detectors,they used to sit in one corner near the gate, said a shopkeeper. After the Aarti,they stay there for about half an hour,remove the metal detectors,place these at the police outpost of the Jal Police and leave.

The other team comes from the bomb disposal squad,along with a sniffer dog. It makes a round of the area,looking for explosives,and then leaves. I have rarely seen them checking the areas adjacent to the ghat. Their exercise remains confined to Dashashwamedh Ghat, said Surendra Kumar Mishra,who runs a shop near the entry gate.

In fact,sanitising the ghats will require a lot more. There are more than 200 routes that lead to the ghats which are interlinked. Besides,people can access the ghats from the river. Without reducing the number of access points and keeping a proper vigil,it is just not possible to sanitise the area, said an official.