Are we really ready for Dasara?

Sir,
Dasara is not just an event on the calendar. For Mysuru, it is a season that brings together thousands of visitors, tourists, residents, businesses, vendors and Government agencies.
With the scale and importance of the celebrations, preparation cannot stop with announcements, barricades, diversions and written plans.
Perhaps it is time we ask a simple question: Are we really ready for Dasara?
One practical way to find out would be to conduct a full-scale trial run before the crowds arrive.
If vehicular movement is going to be diverted through designated routes, why not actually test those routes beforehand? Let Traffic Police, public transport, emergency vehicles and ordinary motorists experience the proposed system during realistic traffic conditions.
A trial run could help identify the problems that may otherwise surface only during Dasara: Bottlenecks, confusing diversions, inadequate signages, parking pressure, congestion points, emergency access issues and delays at key junctions.
It is always better to discover these problems during a rehearsal than during the actual festival. But traffic is only one part of the larger preparedness question.
What about our street vendors? Where will vendors operate? Are the designated spaces practical? Will pedestrian movement be affected? Have sanitation, waste collection, drinking water and emergency access been considered?
What about tourist destinations? Mysuru’s major tourist attractions will naturally see an increase in visitors. Are parking, entry, queue management, public conveniences, security and crowd movement adequately planned?
What about public transport? Have bus routes, temporary stops, increased passenger movement and last-mile connectivity been tested under expected Dasara conditions?
What about emergency preparedness? Can ambulances, fire services and Police vehicles move quickly through the designated routes when roads are crowded? Have emergency corridors actually been tested rather than simply planned?
And finally, have all the Departments worked together? Dasara involves traffic management, tourism, municipal services, police, transport, sanitation, vendors, parking, hospitality and public safety. The success of the festival depends not on one department working well, but on all of them working together.
A mock preparedness exercise involving these stakeholders could provide a much clearer picture of what is working and what needs to be corrected.
So, before the crowds arrive and before the first major traffic jam, perhaps Mysuru should conduct a simple exercise: Test the plan. Stress the system. Identify the gaps. Fix them.
Because being prepared is not about having a plan on paper. Being prepared is knowing that the plan will work when the city actually needs it.
– Anthony H. Willi
Mysuru
2.10.2026