Hyderabad: The emergency helpline 112, set up by the Telangana police from January 18-31, handled 500 emergencies during the 14-day Medaram Jatara in Mulugu district.
According to a press release, “Each incident was promptly registered and dispatched to the nearest response vehicle. Field coordination and communication were effectively managed through VHF wireless systems, enabling real-time updates between the control unit and ground personnel.”
The police said the prompt response was possible due to coordination between the emergency unit and drone surveillance teams, significantly improving situational awareness and supporting faster decision-making in crowd management and emergency response.
The successful functioning of the temporary DIAL-112 unit played a crucial role in maintaining public safety and providing immediate assistance to the large number of devotees attending the Medaram Jatara.
Medaram Jatara
The four-day ‘Maha Jatara’ of tribal goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma, dubbed as one of the largest Adivasi spiritual congregations in the world, began at Medaram on January 28. The tribal priests installed deities Saralamma, Govindaraju and Pagididdaraju at the ‘gaddelu’ (altars) on Wednesday night as per tradition.
Goddess Sammakka was installed at the altar on January 29. Devotees took the holy bath and made sand idols of the deities in the rivulet Jampanna Vagu at Medaram and offered jaggery.
A devotional atmosphere pervaded the ‘Maha Jatara’ site as some women devotees were “possessed” by the goddesses.
The number of devotees over the years has increased substantially, according to Panchayat Raj Minister D Anasuya Seethakka. This year, about 20 lakh people visited Medaram.
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