Mumbai: With a lingering terror threat,
Mumbai police has drawn up an elaborate security plan for the
10-day Ganesh festival from tomorrow that includes setting up
of watch towers and installing CCTVs at crucial points.
Security personnel would be deployed at strategic
locations and 50 watch towers have been set up to monitor the
crowd, Joint Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Himanshu
Roy said.
"Apart from the deployment of Bomb Detection and
Disposal Squads (BDDS) in prominent Ganesh mandals, the
organisers were also asked to install CCTVs," he said
"This is one of the biggest festivals and in the
backdrop of the November 26 terror attacks, we do not want to
take any chance," he said.
The civic body has been asked to allow people to park
vehicles only after ensuring proper identification, Roy said.
Railway authorities have also been asked to run
additional trains during the night, he said.
"The organisers have been trained on how to identify
suspicious objects, especially improvised Explosive Devices
which could be in the form of a pen, bicycle or a tiffin box.
We briefed them on security and gave a list of Do's and
Dont's," he said.
About 5,500 big mandals celebrate the festival by
bringing jumbo Ganesh idols which are immersed at 88 points in
the city. About 1.5 lakh households bring small idols.
During the festival, police will take help of home
guards, life guards and NGO volunteers. To check the spread of
swine flu, safety masks are being distributed to policemen.
"We have ordered three lakh masks," he added.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, August 22, 2009, 18:59