22 Uttar Pradesh areas under air surveillance

LUCKNOW - At least 22 places in Uttar Pradesh have been put under air surveillance with effect from Thursday morning, hours ahead of the much awaited Ayodhya verdict by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

“The sensitive areas have been divided into three air zones - to be controlled from Lucknow, Varanasi and Meerut, where the state government has posted its own helicopters to remain in readiness,” a top government official said.

“Ayodhya would be covered from Lucknow, but another chopper is in place in Faizabad itself to maintain constant vigil on air.”

Similar surveillance is being maintained over Varanasi and Mathura, known for their contentious shrines - the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi mosque and Krishna Janmabhoomi-Eidgah respectively.

Besides the state’s own choppers, some private helicopters have been kept on standby to meet any requirement for quick transfer of police force from one area to another.

Police motor boats are patrolling the Saryu river in Ayodhya to keep a watch on any unwanted movement in the waters around the temple town.

Likewise, a set of motorboats with cops have been pressed into service in the Ganga at Varanasi as also the Yamuna river in Mathura.

The Ayodhya title suits are contested by Hindu and Muslim groups.