(IDY) celebrations in Visakhapatnam on Saturday will span approximately 26 kilometres, starting from RK beach. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, and deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan will participate in the main event near the Kali Mata temple on the RK beachfront.

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While around 3.5 lakh people are expected to join the RK beach gathering, citizen registrations for events planned across the state on Saturday have reached 2.39 crore, well above the 2 crore target.

The 26-kilometre corridor has been divided into 326 compartments, each accommodating up to 1,000 participants. The yoga contigent for the RK beach stretch will include 1,438 trained yoga demonstrators and 907 certified instructors.

According to officials, each compartment will be managed by a structured team to ensure efficient operations.

A gazetted officer will lead each unit, supported by a yoga instructor and three demonstrators. Ten stewards will coordinate the crowd and support participants. Basic amenities will be overseen by a drinking water in-charge and a food team comprising one in-charge and two supervisors. Sanitation will be handled by four workers and a toilet manager.

Each compartment will also include an auxiliary nursing midwife (ANM), one Asha worker, and four hamalis.

For transportation of people from various districts in north coastal Andhra Pradesh for the event, 9,995 vehicles, including 3,200 fifty-seater buses and 4,095 forty-seater buses, have been organised. Furthermore, 2,500 autos and 200 maxi cabs form part of the diverse transit line-up to ensure last-mile connectivity.

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To support these transport arrangements, 75 dedicated parking locations have been identified in the city and its suburbs to manage vehicular flow.

Naidu said arrangements are in place for 3.19 lakh individuals to perform yoga along the entire 26-kilometre stretch from RK beach. “To conduct this programme, 5,451 master trainers have come forward. Certificates have been issued to 1.05 crore individuals for their participation in various yoga activities during the month.

We are planning to add yoga to the curriculum from class IX onwards and are considering weekly yoga sessions in schools.

The proposal to establish a yoga deemed university is also under active consideration,” he said.

Training and event data reflect commendable performance. While master trainer enrolment reached 210% of the target (5,451 against 2,600), the trainer cadre achieved 115% (1.44 lakh against a target of 1.25 lakh).

Training for the general public has reached 88% of the ambitious 2 crore goal.

The thematic events have also been a big hit with the public. For example, tourist/iconic spot and theme-based yoga events reached 97% and 92% of their targets, respectively. Yoga competitions proved exceptionally successful, achieving 100% target realisation across all administrative tiers, from village to state. Participation in various competitions was particularly high at the grassroots level.

About 6.37 lakh individuals at the village level and 1.16 lakh at the mandal level were part of the competitions, highlighting deep community engagement.

The month-long ‘Yogaandhra’ campaign, leading up to International Day of Yoga, has served as a strategic initiative to boost tourism by showcasing lesser known yet culturally rich sites.

By organising yoga events at historical temples, archaeological sites, beaches, and Buddhist heritage centres, the government has renewed public interest in many previously overlooked locations.