VIJAYAWADA: With the Krishna Pushkaralu just a few days away, the officials expedited works and plans for the smooth conduct of the river fete. The city has been illuminated to give a festival look during the 12-day river festival. The Vijayawada municipal officials also arranged route maps at all thoroughfares in the city to guide the pilgrims, who are expected to come in lakhs, to the Pushkar ghats and other important places.

The devotees coming from Eluru side will get information about Pushkar ghats through a route map erected at Ramavarappadu ring road. Arrow marks are painted to indicate the directions of important junctions. Another route map has been set up at the government hospital junction, followed by a third one at Ramesh Hospital junction and at Benz Circle. The officials set up route maps on the Bandar Road for the convenience of pilgrims coming from Bandar side. The pilgrims coming from Guntur can get information through the map set up immediately after entering the city at Kanaka Durga Varadhi. Another map was set up at Prakasam barrage.

The officials set up a route map at Ibrahimpatnam for the convenience of pilgrims coming from Hyderabad. Similarly, route maps have been arranged at all junctions for the convenience of pilgrims. Minister for water resources Devineni Umamaheswara Rao inspected the river confluence point at Ferry village near Ibrahimpatnam and inaugurated high mast lights erected at a cost of Rs 5.50 crore. He said that the Pavitra Sangamam point would be developed as a tourist centre.

Meanwhile, officials are planning to conduct a trial run on services provided to pilgrims on August 4. The officials decided to inaugurate the command control centre at Durga ghat on August 4. As many as 15 work stations will be controlled from CCC command control centre.