Bhubaneswar Police have rolled out extensive security for Durga Puja, classifying 200 pandals by crowd size. Eight special rescue teams are deployed, heavy vehicles diverted, and strict fines imposed for stopping on flyovers for photos or reels.
A comprehensive security and traffic arrangement has been put in place across Bhubaneswar for the ongoing Durga Puja festivities, with police categorising around 200 pandals according to footfall, deploying specialised rescue teams, and enforcing strict checks on flyovers to curb dangerous reel-making, an official said on Monday.
Speaking to ANI on the arrangements, Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Saravana Vivek M said that pandals across the city have been classified into three categories—A, B, and C—based on their size and anticipated crowd strength to ensure targeted deployment. “Around 200 pandals of various sizes have been approved. We have classified them into three different categories, A, B and C, based on the footfall strength and the size of the mandap. Our arrangement has also been made that way. So most of the places see devotees coming up to midnight, and at some locations it even goes beyond that, up to 2 am. Arrangements have been made for that as well, with force and officers and Police force in civil dress to keep a watch on snatching incidents and volunteers; the organisers have been asked to provide volunteers. They have also been briefed by the police, and other safety measures have also been taken,” DCP Saravana Vivek M said.
Special Rescue Units Deployed
“With the help of Odisha Fire Services and Home Guard Department, we have taken the services of special rescue units. Eight teams have been deployed in strategic locations. They are trained to manage emergency situations arising during crowd surges. They are trained in advanced life support and also crowd management duties. So they have also been deployed. So we are hoping that we will be able to manage this Puja festival smoothly,” he added.
Highlighting emergency preparedness, the DCP noted that the city police have requisitioned eight Special Rescue Units in collaboration with the Odisha Fire Services and Home Guard Department. “We have taken the services of special rescue units. Eight teams have been requisitioned, and they are kept in strategic locations. The special rescue units are a team of four; they are trained in life support, evacuation during any emergencies during crowd surge and their manoeuvres have also been taught to the police teams. So we are in touch with them in case of any emergency, which we hope we will not have. In case of any emergency, we are prepared, and their services will be taken,” the DCP said.
Traffic Management and Diversions
Addressing traffic management on major corridors, the senior officer pointed out that heavy vehicles have been diverted to mitigate congestion at highway bottlenecks. “On the national highway, there is a huge rush. We also have a couple of choke points where six lanes converge into four-lane bridges. So that is a natural choke point. For that, what we have done is divert heavy vehicles along the suburban routes and the bypasses that are available in the suburbs,” he said.
Warning Against Dangerous Reel-Making on Flyovers
The DCP also issued a strict warning against unauthorised parking and dangerous photography on elevated roads. “And at other locations, we have been continuously appealing to the general public not to park their vehicles near the mandaps or in the no-parking areas, and fines have been collected and arrangements on the flyovers where people are actually stopping the vehicle and taking photos, selfies and making reels that is quite dangerous. So we have been collecting fines; we have made special deployments for the flyovers where people are actually stopping, and they have been asked not to do that,” he said.
Arrangements for Ravan Podi and Visarjan
Outlining the arrangements for the upcoming Ravan Podi and immersion ceremonies (Visarjan) scheduled for the 22nd, the DCP added, “For visarjan, there are three locations in coordination with BMC. BMC has created temporary ponds, and the immersion will happen in these temporary ponds. In coordination with BMC, we have made the temporary roads strong, and cranes will be deployed in those locations. Traffic arrangement, route lining arrangement and police arrangement will be deployed at that time. In general, this is happening on the 22nd of this month at all three locations.”
The tight security arrangements in Odisha come in the backdrop of a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata, West Bengal, in which 19 people were killed and 25 others injured. (ANI)
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