AI to help manage crowd during 2027 Godavari Pushkaralu in Andhra Pradesh

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directs officials to preserve the spiritual significance and environmental sanctity of the Godavari River. | Photo Credit: File Photo Artificial intelligence will play a key role in managing the massive crowds expected during the 2027 Godavari Pushkaralu, with the Andhra Pradesh government preparing for an estimated turnout of 8 crore to 10 crore devotees during the 12-day festival.Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, while reviewing preparations at the Secretariat on Tuesday, directed the officials to combine technology-driven crowd management with world-class infrastructure while preserving the spiritual significance and environmental sanctity of the Godavari River.The Pushkaralu will be held from June 26 to July 7, 2027. With barely 10 months left for the mega event, the government has identified 4,932 works at an estimated cost of ₹4,026 crore.At the centre of the preparations is an AI-enabled crowd management system. Artificial intelligence-based analytics will be used to monitor the movement and density of devotees and anticipate congestion at vulnerable locations.The system will be supported by CCTV surveillance at entry and exit points, drone monitoring, QR code-based vehicle identification and decentralised deployment of personnel and resources.The aim is to enable authorities to respond to emerging situations in real time, particularly at the 440 bathing ghats being developed. These include 259 existing ghats and 181 new ones.The scale of the challenge is significant. Nearly 4.86 crore devotees took a holy dip during the Godavari Maha Pushkaralu in 2015, while the government is now preparing for almost double that number.Emergency responseTechnology will also support a large-scale emergency response system, including 30 temporary field hospitals, ambulances and medical camps. For river safety, authorities plan to deploy 2,697 rescue boats and 8,955 trained swimmers.Mr. Naidu stressed environmental protection, directing officials to ensure that untreated sewage did not enter the Godavari. The government plans to use the Pushkaralu to promote spiritual tourism under the broader concept of ‘Akhanda Godavari’. Published - August 25, 2026 07:42 pm IST