Mumbai: Ganesh Visarjan processions began in Mumbai as hundreds of Lord Ganesh idols are being taken to immersions ghats amid elaborate security arrangements by police to ensure smooth immersion on Thursday.
The immersion of Lord Ganesh idol takes place on Anant Chaturdashi and a large number of devotees gather at immersion ghats of Mumbai to bid farewell to their beloved 'Ganpati Bappa.' Mumbai cops' security arrangement is directed at controlling the crowd and maintain law and order. The police deployed strict security to ensure that no untoward incident takes place anywhere in the city during the immersion.
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As many as 20,000 cops have been deployed throughout the city for security. Monitoring will be done with the help of 7,000 CCTV cameras. On the other hand, traffic police have made special plans to keep traffic smooth during processions.
Joint Commissioner of Police of Law and Order Department, Satyanarayan Chaudhary, while talking to ETV Bharat, said, "Mumbai Police appealed to all the devotees to follow the guidelines. They can call Mumbai Police helpline number 100. An additional 4,500 to 5,000 police personnel, civil defense personnel, CRPF, CRPF and BSF companies have been deployed to assist the Mumbai Police."
He also said there are some highly sensitive places in the city and it has been decided to keep additional police presence in these places. There are more than 600 immersion ghats and additional arrangements are made on immersion days. Three and a half thousand traffic police personnel will also be deployed. Armed forces personnel, home guards, traffic guards, water security forces, civil defense forces and volunteers have been deployed to assist the traffic police. Around 7,000 CCTV cameras have been installed throughout the city to monitor crowded places.
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In the wake of a possible terrorist attack, the employees of Mumbai Police's anti-terrorist cell as well as the QRT teams have been asked to be alert. Mumbai Police will also keep a close eye on criminals through drone cameras. As the local runs till Friday morning, Railway Police personnel have been deployed in every women's coach.
Eight additional commissioners of police, 25 deputy commissioners, 45 assistant commissioners of police have been deployed along with 2,866 officers and 16,250 constables. Along with them, 35 platoons of SRPF, QRT Team, RAF Company, Home Guards will be deployed in important places. In addition to 73 natural places and 162 artificial lakes have been arranged in Mumbai city, including major immersion sites like Goregaon, Dadar, and Juhu. In terms of law and order, strict arrangements have been made in all those places. Each discharge point is under CCTV surveillance and a temporary control room with sound system has been set up at major discharge points.
