While New Year 2023 is just around the corner and people are getting amped to welcome it, security has been beefed up in key cities across India including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Bengaluru, and Noida. Apart from amping up security arrangements, traffic regulations have also been issued which will be put in place on New Year’s Eve on Saturday.
Breathalyzers will also play a role to catch hold of drunken drivers. In Delhi and in Pune, guidelines have been issued for use of alcometers. Delhi Police has identified 125 spots prone to drink-driving as part of efforts to keep a vigil on revelers on New Year’s eve.
Here are city-wise arrangements to be put in place ahead of New Year’s Eve:
Mumbai
Mumbai Police has deployed more than 11,500 personnel across the city to prevent untoward incidents and ensure people’s safety on New Year’s Eve. According to Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, no police personnel will be allowed to take a leave on New Year’s eve (December 31).
Two deputy police commissioners, four assistant police commissioners, 114 police officers, Home Guards and Maharashtra Security Force personnel will be deployed at suburban railway network in Mumbai.
Nirbhaya teams, comprising women police constables and officers in plain clothes, will ensure the safety of female passengers.
The Railways will operate two special locals between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kalyan on the Central line, two special trains between CSMT and Panvel on Harbour and eight special locals between Churchgate and Virar on the Western line on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.
Kolkata
Security has been tightened in and around Kolkata to foil any attempt to disturb the law and order situation during New Year’s Eve. At least 3,000 personnel of Kolkata Police have been deployed in the city’s busiest places such as Park Street, Esplanade, Shakespeare Sarani, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, and Russell Street to keep a check on the proceedings there.
The city cops have divided Park Street and its surrounding areas into 10 sectors. The security of each of these sectors will be led by one deputy commissioner-level officer, who will be assisted by one or two officers in the rank of assistant police commissioners, several inspectors and constables.
Five watch towers have been set up around the Esplanade and Park Street areas for better surveillance. Monitoring will also be done through binoculars from the rooftops of several buildings.
Pune
In Maharashtra’s Pune city, Police will go for single-use tubes on breathalysers to detect drunk drivers during New Year celebrations. Police will keep in mind that the exercise does not spread COVID-19, a senior police official said on Friday.
The police department in Maharashtra had halted the use of breathalysers in March 2020 after the coronavirus outbreak. The city police will now bring back the devices to keep a watch on drunken driving.
As many as 5,000 police and traffic personnel will be deployed across the city including major points ahead of the New Year revelry. The police have also made special arrangements to streamline vehicular movement on Saturday as they anticipate heavy crowds from evening onwards.
Bengaluru
More than 8,500 police personnel will be manning Karnataka’s Bengaluru to see to it that no untoward incident takes place during the New Year celebration, and that the 1 am deadline for celebrations will be strictly followed.
The special focus will be on the safety of women and children, he said, cautioning against unauthorized use of loudspeakers and music systems and violation of rules.
“For the New Year bandobast across the city, a total of 8,500 police personnel and officials has been deployed for maintenance of law and order, other than this the entire staff and officials of the traffic division will be on duty,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner Pratap Reddy said.
People will have to seek official permission to use loudspeakers and they will only be allowed till 12 am. Special arrangements have been made for the crowd control, and CCTV and drones will be used for surveillance.
Noida
Operators of shopping malls and bars in Noida have been asked by the police there to review security arrangements ahead of New Year’s Eve. According to industry estimates, nearly two lakh revellers are expected on New Year’s eve and January 1 at shopping malls in Sector 18, the biggest market and revenue generator of Noida.
A security audit of these malls, bars and restaurants has been done to assess how many security personnel they have and what is their deployment, what is the coverage of CCTV cameras installed on their premises, the existing dark areas which need to be lit up, police said.
(With PTI Inputs)
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