Cuttack: The district administration has made elaborate arrangements to ensure an incident-free Baliyatra festival this year, which is scheduled to begin near Mahanadi river bank in the Millennium City from Wednesday.
The district administration has also kept two grounds ready in the city to host the week-long spectacle.
Official sources said nearly 1500 makeshift stalls would come up at both the venues in the adjoining sprawling Mahanadi riverbed covering an area of 50 acres, which is now being decked up for the festival.
“The district administration along with the police has made adequate arrangements for the festival with allotment of stalls”, said Cuttack collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra.
“This year the footfall might increase due to good weather”, Mishra added.
The district cultural society has also made elaborate arrangements to organise cultural programmes every evening at the Baishanb Pani Mandap near the venue. At least two dozen troupes from the State and outside would perform during the festival, sources said.
To maintain law and order, the commissionerate police would keep a close watch on anti-social elements through CCTVs placed at various locations of the venue.
Besides, armed police would be deployed to ward of any untoward incident.