Varanasi Municipal Corporation intensifies preparations for Indian Air Force Day air show

The Varanasi Municipal Corporation has heightened preparations for the upcoming air show at Namo Ghat, scheduled to celebrate the 94th anniversary of Indian Air Force Day.

Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal conducted a thorough inspection of arrangements along the ghats on October 19. He walked from Rajghat to various other ghats, reviewing the readiness of the departments involved.

During the inspection, Nagpal issued strict directives to sanitation staff and officials, emphasising that any lapse in maintaining cleanliness at the ghats and surrounding approach roads would not be tolerated. He also instructed zonal officers to remove encroachments promptly and ensure thorough clearance of debris. Zonal Officer Pawan Gupta, Executive Engineer Vikas Kuriel, JE Siddharth, and other sanitation and corporation officials accompanied the Commissioner during the inspection from the ghats to adjacent streets.

The air show is scheduled for October 22, 23, and 25, 2026, at Namo Ghat. It is expected to attract millions of spectators, including VVIP guests from India, abroad, and neighbouring districts. In response, the Municipal Corporation has organised extensive arrangements covering cleanliness, mobile toilets, lighting, parking, and security on both banks of the Ganga.

On October 18, a coordination meeting was held in the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham Board Room to discuss crowd management during the air show. The meeting was chaired by Chief Executive Officer Satyam Mishra and attended by officials from the temple administration, Police Department, and CRPF.

The meeting focused on strategies to manage the anticipated crowds, aiming to ensure a safe, well-organised, and accessible darshan experience for devotees. It was agreed that special arrangements, modelled on the protocols used on Mondays during the Shravan period, would be implemented. These would include systematic regulation of entry and exit routes, installation of barricades where necessary, and effective coordination among departments to manage crowd pressure.