Officials brave harsh terrain to reach polling stations in Northeast
In the rugged and remote terrain of Northeast India, electoral officers are preparing for the world's largest democratic exercise in full swing. All seven states in the region will witness polling in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday. With poll officials trekking for hours to reach distant polling stations, the logistical challenges for the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the region stand out.
Officials trek mountains, navigate rugged terrains for polls
Images from Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh show election officials trekking up mountains and clinging onto branches to reach polling stations. Similarly, in Nagaland's Kiphire district, poll personnel are seen navigating rugged terrain to reach the Hakumati polling station. To access these remote locations, many of which are along the China border, several groups of election officials and police personnel have been airlifted.
Special arrangements made for remote polling stations
"We have made some special arrangements. 228 polling stations can only be reached by foot," said Pawan Kumar Sain, chief electoral officer of Arunachal Pradesh. He added, "When we learned about the weather alerts for polling day, we proactively relocated the parties and designed special waterproof bags in two different colors to prevent the EVMs from getting mixed up." These measures underscore the determination of election officials to ensure a smooth voting process despite challenging conditions.
India's most isolated polling station in Nongriat Village
Notably, Nongriat village in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills District is home to one of India's most isolated polling stations. To reach this location, officials have to trek over two steep mountains, cross a steel bridge and two small "living root" bridges, and descend 3,600 steep steps. The village, with a voter base of 140, will also go to polls in the first phase.
Mizoram gears up for upcoming Lok Sabha polls
In Mizoram, preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls are in full swing with the deployment of at least 6,500 polling personnel, over 3,000 policemen and 12 companies of Central Armed Police Forces. "All arrangements are complete and we have also commissioned the EVMs. We are ready for the polls," said Madhup Vyas, Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer.
Over 11,000 polling officers mobilized in Arunachal Pradesh
The ECI has mobilized a 11,130 polling officials in Arunachal Pradesh alone. To facilitate the concurrent Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, they have installed 6,874 EVMs. Furthermore, the Union Home Ministry has deployed 80 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces, consisting of 7,500 personnel to ensure a peaceful voting process. In a bid to protect the voting equipment from damage—especially during heavy rainfall—poll officials have been equipped with unique waterproof bags in specific colors and rain jackets.
