APSRTC to operate 50 bus services to beach

Vijayawada: The APSRTC will operate 50 special bus services from Machilipatnam to Manginapudi beach for the convenience of devotees visiting the beach for sea bath on the occasion of Karthika Pournami to be observed on November 26 and 27.

Around two lakh devotees are expected to take bath in the beach located near Krishna district headquarter Machilipatnam. The Pournami Tidhi will begin in the afternoon of November 26 and end on November 27.

Lakhs of devotees will take bath in the sea in Andhra Pradesh to mark the Karthika Pournami which is considered auspicious for Hindus. Krishna district administration will make elaborate arrangements for the convenience of devotees. Ambulances and expert swimmers will be kept ready near the beach and the entire road and beach area will be illuminated with lighting.

Krishna district joint collector Aparajita Singh instructed officials to provide all amenities for devotees and visitors of the beach. She said one way traffic will be implemented on November 26 and 27 from Baddila Centre to Manginapudi beach for smooth passing of vehicles. She also instructed the officials to provide separate parking for the VIPs near the beach and monitor the traffic with drones.

Separate queue lines will be arranged at Dattashram for the entry and exit of devotees and barricades will be set for smooth flow. She instructed the officials to appoint sanitary staff in three shifts and set up medical camps and first aid centres between Machilipatnam and Manginapudi beach.

She said 80 makeshift dress changing rooms will be arranged near the beach for the convenience of women devotees taking bath in the sea. She said NDRF and State Disaster Response teams will be drafted for the duty and autos will be arranged for the free travel of physically challenged.