Mumbai: The Mumbai Police has ramped up security for this year’s Ganeshotsav festival, beginning today (Saturday), with a deployment of over 14,000 personnel. The police force will manage crowds and ensure law and order across the city during the celebrations.
Specialized police units, including the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), Rapid Action Force (RAF), Riot Control Force (RCF), Delta Force, Combat Force, Quick Response Team (QRT) commandos, and home guards, will be stationed in areas expected to draw large crowds.
According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan Chaudhary, "The number of police personnel deployed for Ganpati bandobast exceeds 14,000. This will cover the one-and-a-half-day Ganpati and the visarjan, with the number of personnel increasing to 20,000 as we approach Anant Chaturthi (September 17 - the 10th day of Ganeshotsav), as it does every year.”
The most intense security measures will be in place for key days, including the one-and-a-half-day Ganpati visarjan, the five-day celebrations, Gauri-visarjan on the seventh day, the ninth day, and the final day on Anant Chaturthi. Both uniformed and plainclothes officers will be monitoring crowded areas, especially around major pandals like Lalbaugcha Raja, GSB Seva Mandal, Khetwadicha Raja, Chinchpoklicha Chintamani Raja, and Mumbaicha Raja. In these locations, additional CCTV cameras have been installed for close monitoring.
Pandals have been instructed to immediately notify the police of any suspicious individuals or objects. In high-traffic areas, special units, including Riot Police, will be stationed just meters away from the pandals. Zone police officers have directed pandals in their jurisdictions to install CCTV cameras and set up monitoring rooms to prevent any untoward incidents. The Nirbhaya Squad will also be on high alert to ensure the safety of women during the celebrations, as cases of sexual assault and molestation tend to spike during Ganeshotsav.
The 14,000-strong police deployment includes 32 Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP), 34 Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP), 2,435 officers, and 12,420 constables. Temporary control rooms have been established to monitor crowds at major immersion points, including Dadar Chowpatty, Girgaum Chowpatty, Juhu Chowpatty, and Aksa Beach, using CCTV surveillance.
Additionally, the Mumbai Traffic Police has urged devotees to avoid halting Ganesh idols on certain Rail Over Bridges (RoBs) during the visarjan processions. Approximately 13 RoBs, which are in a deteriorating condition, could face increased risk if exposed to additional weight. Traffic police have instructed pandals and devotees not to stop or dance on these RoBs to prevent accidents.
With inputs from Ankit Salvi
