Archive · 20 Sep 2026
Andhra Pradesh Plans 14,488 Volunteers for Godavari Pushkaralu
Thousands of volunteers are preparing to help pilgrims during Godavari Pushkaralu-2027.
A total of 14,488 volunteers from 39 organisations have registered.
They will work at river ghats, temples, transport hubs, junctions and other festival areas.
Some will help manage crowds, traffic and queues.
Others will keep bathing areas and food centres clean and explain how to dispose of waste properly.
Medical volunteers will provide ORS and help take sick people to medical camps.
Volunteers will also assist elderly and differently abled pilgrims with wheelchairs and ramps.
Help desks will provide information at railway stations, bus stands and Pushkaralu venues.
Organisations will also provide meals, milk and drinking water to pilgrims.
East Godavari officials plan to deploy 14,488 volunteers from 39 organisations for Godavari Pushkaralu-2027.
Rajamahendravaram division accounts for 11,625 volunteers, while Kovvur division accounts for 2,863.
Volunteers will support ghat safety, traffic and crowd management, sanitation, medical assistance, food distribution and information services.
Their duties include helping elderly and differently abled pilgrims, operating help desks, distributing ORS and supporting drone-based crowd monitoring.
The planned volunteer force is substantially larger than the 5,368 volunteers from 30 organisations who served during the 2015 Pushkaralu.
- Who
- East Godavari district officials, police, municipal authorities and 14,488 volunteers from 39 voluntary organisations and youth groups.
- What
- A volunteer deployment plan has been prepared to support pilgrim safety, crowd management, sanitation, medical care, food distribution and information services.
- When
- During Godavari Pushkaralu-2027; the preparations were reviewed on Saturday.
- Where
- Across East Godavari district, including Rajamahendravaram and Kovvur divisions, river ghats, temples, transport hubs, junctions and Pushkaralu venues.
- Why
- To provide better facilities, safety and assistance to pilgrims attending the festival.
- Registered volunteers
- 14,488 volunteers from 39 organisations
- Rajamahendravaram division
- 11,625 volunteers; the report says 19 of 22 organisations will field volunteers, while another account lists 22 organisations as registered
- Kovvur division
- 2,863 volunteers from 17 registered organisations; one account says 11 of those organisations will deploy volunteers
- 2015 comparison
- 5,368 volunteers from 30 organisations served during the 2015 Pushkaralu
- Sri Sathya Sai food service
- Meals for 25,000–30,000 people daily, plus milk for children and drinking water at transport locations and other sites
- Rajasthan Seva Samiti and Jain Seva Samiti
- Food for 10,000 pilgrims daily with support from 500 volunteers
- Other deployments
- Indian Red Cross Society will deploy 500 volunteers at transit hubs; ABVP will deploy 500 for crowd management and drone operations; Manavatha Voluntary Organization will post 120 volunteers at ghats; Jeevanadhi Foundation will deploy 300 for sanitation
