Mumbai will see the deployment of over 24,000 police personnel for the immersion processions on Anant Chaturdashi, the tenth and final day of the Ganpati festival, scheduled for Tuesday. Drone surveillance will be deployed at key immersion sites in Mumbai, including Girgaon Chowpatty, Dadar, Bandra, Juhu, Versova, Powai Lake, and Madh Island, an official stated.
More than 24,000 police personnel, including nine additional commissioners, 40 deputy commissioners, and 56 assistant commissioners of police, will be deployed across Mumbai to maintain order and prevent any untoward incidents, the official said.
With large crowds expected to gather along the roads for the immersion processions, the police will establish a ‘green corridor’ to ensure smooth traffic flow and maintain connectivity between the eastern and western suburbs, he added.
The corridor will be for essential and emergency services and those travelling for emergencies, he said, adding the Coastal Road will also remain open for 24 hours.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan Choudhary stated that the Mumbai police are on high alert to prevent any potential law and order issues during the immersion processions. He said that besides the local police deployment, SRPF platoons, quick response teams (QRT), riots control police (RCP), delta, combat, home guards, and Maharashtra Security Force have also been roped in.
At least 12 old bridges on the Central and Western Railway lines are in dangerous condition, and Ganesh mandals have been advised to exercise caution while using them and avoid crowding in these areas, the official said.
The police are also coordinating with the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) to ensure safety, with local trains set to run throughout the night on the day of immersion, he added.