Mumbai to turn a fortress for New Year Eve

Over 43,000 personnel of the Mumbai Police and Traffic Police will be out on the streets to protect revellers ringing in the New Year Eve and New Year 2020 from Tuesday evening, a top official said here on Monday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Ops) Pranay Ashok said besides the personnel and armed police, there will be teams of the State Reserve Police Force, Riot Control Force, Rapid Action Force, Home Guards, Traffic Police, Dog Squad and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad guarding the 17 million Mumbaikars.

Top New Year Eve venues for celebrations include the Gateway of India, beaches at Girgaum, Dadar, Mahim, Bandra Reclamation, Versova, Juhu, Gorai, Madh, Manori, Marve, Powai Lake, malls, cinemas, national monuments and certain religious landmarks shall be under CCTV surveillance for monitoring the crowds with special deployments.

Special eyes will be kept on those indulging in harassing women or suspicious persons with potential for making mischief in crowds, besides catching rash or drunk drivers, Ashok added.

The police will also carry out random checks of vehicles at various locations, search boats in the Arabian Sea, impose road blocks over the entire city and all sensitive locations, comb places like hotels, lodges or garages to avert any untoward incidents.

Stringent traffic regulations shall be enforced from 7 p.m. on Tuesday till Wednesday 6 a.m. in places like Bandra, Dadar, Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Nariman Point, Pedder Road, CSMT and other locations.

Parking of all types of vehicles would be restricted/regulated in 18 locations to avoid traffic jams and ensure free traffic movements and personnel in plainclothes will keep watch over public activities around the city.

DCP Ashok also urged the people to extend their cooperation to the law enforcers, refrain from drinking and driving, follow traffic rules and make way for police, ambulance and fire brigade emergency vehicles.

Similar security arrangements are being by the Maharashtra Police in other major cities like Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Kolhapur, popular New Year Eve destinations like the hill-resorts of Matheran, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Igatpuri, Lonavala, Khandala, sea-side resorts of Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

( With inputs from IANS )