Rath Yatra or Car Festival is a famous Hindu festival when lakhs of pilgrims come to watch the mighty chariots with deities on it, and pulls it along the 3 KM patch in the world-famous Puri town in Odisha.
This year I went along with our ham friends Manoj, VU2ODI, Umakant, VU3XUS, Debasish , VU2CFS, Rajni (VU2BOJ), Dushmant, VU2DKD and a handful of Scouts and Guides who were volunteering to help us.
We set up a VHF station at the central control room in Town Police station of Puri at which every emergency services were being monitored via the different agency. Our work was to cover the entire sea beach where our volunteers were engaged to report any mishaps so that we can dispatch the Ambulance without any communication delays. Here are some of the photos of the same.
On Puri TOWN Ps roof.
For those who may not know, this year 2019, May 2 morning, severe cyclonic storm names as Fani hit the Puri coast with devastating wind speed to 200KMPH and the communication infrastructure was soiled within hours. The recovery was so delayed that a phone call on GSM was almost impossible after months of the cyclone in the small town. And the communication infra which is insufficient for mere 3.5 lakh citizen of the town was about to experience a 10lakh pilgrims who will be there on the festival day. Somehow, the administration was very cautious, managed the matter in a professional way. As far as HAM Radio help, we merely able to report some 14 number of casualties to the health department for the quick response which was lower than that of 2018 Rath Yatra's casualties at the sea beach due to sea bath.
All spent well with a Diamong CP22 Antenna, a X550 antenna, one Kenwood 75 Watt Base, One Yaesu 65 watt base and another 85 watt base. with smps power supply, and at least 10 number of walkie talkie (5 watt) thanks to Dushmant bhai who helped by sparing his handys for the day.
Jai Jagannath.
VU3GDP
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