Haridwar, June 28 -- With an estimated 40- 42.5 million Shiva devotees, or kanwariyas, expected to arrive during the upcoming Kanwar Yatra from July 13 to 24, officials from six northern states convened in Haridwar on Friday to ensure a seamless and secure pilgrimage. Senior administrative and police officials from Uttarakhand, U.P, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh met at the City Control Room near Har-ki-Pauri in Haridwar to chalk out strategies on traffic regulation, inter-state coordination, security planning, and intelligence sharing for the massive annual pilgrimage. The meeting was chaired by Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, who emphasised the importance of timely execution of arrangements. "All departments have been directed to complete their responsibilities before the commencement of the Kanwar Mela. We welcome kanwariyas with open arms and appeal to them to undertake their spiritual journey peacefully and without carrying baseball bats, canes, or any provocative items," Bardhan said. He said adequate security measures would be in place, involving state police, central paramilitary forces, and drone surveillance. Officials aware of the developments in the meeting said, U.P. officials stressed the need for enhanced traffic management along the National Highways and Kanwar paths shared by both states. "Inter state coordination is very important for smooth conduct of Kanwar fair.Real time sharing of information is vital for which all states through which Kanwariyas arrive have expressed support.Latest technology will also be used effective monitoring of kanwariyas throughout the route and till completion of Kanwar fair," said DGP Uttarakhand Deepam Seth....