Mumbai, Sep 24 More than 24,000 police personnel will keep a vigil across Mumbai to ensure that Ganesh immersion processions remain peaceful, while authorities also announced traffic restrictions for smooth movement of vehicles on the last day of the festival.
Idols of Lord Ganesh will be immersed on Anant Chaturdashi on Friday after processions, marking the culmination of the festival which started on September 14.
The Mumbai Traffic Police have issued comprehensive traffic advisories and imposed key restrictions across major corridors, including the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), Lalbaug, and Kalachowki, to ensure smooth movement of vehicles and for public safety, officials said.
A massive security blanket involving over 24,000 personnel will be deployed across the megalopolis, the police said.
The comprehensive security arrangements have been chalked out under the guidance of the Commissioner of Police and the supervision of the Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order), according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.
Simultaneously, traffic management plans have been formulated under the supervision of the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic).
To facilitate safe celebrations for the lakhs of devotees expected to participate in the final immersion processions, the Mumbai Police and the Traffic Department will deploy a total of 6 Joint Commissioners of Police, 9 Additional Commissioners of Police, 38 Deputy Commissioners of Police, 66 Assistant Commissioners of Police, 3,213 police officers, 18,940 police personnel, and 1,050 police trainees.
Specialised units, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), Force One, Quick Response Teams (QRT), Law & Order platoons, Riot Control Squads, Delta and Combat units, Anti-Drone squads, and Home Guards will also be positioned at key and sensitive locations across the metropolis.
The Mumbai Police have appealed to citizens to exercise restraint in crowded places and cooperate with personnel on duty. Devotees have been urged to immediately alert the police if they spot any unclaimed or suspicious objects, and to call emergency helplines 100 or 112 for immediate assistance, the officials added.
Unauthorised parking along the JVLR, specifically near the immersion ghat entrances, service roads, and main carriageways poses severe risks of traffic gridlock, obstruction to emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire tenders, and potential law-and-order challenges.
To mitigate these risks, the Sakinaka Traffic Division has implemented strict no-parking zones for all vehicle types on both the northbound and southbound lanes of JVLR, spanning the stretch between the L&T Flyover and the IIT Market Gate.
Additionally, the Ghatkopar Traffic Division has restricted the entry of heavy vehicles along both carriageways of the JVLR.
Heavy vehicles approaching the JVLR from the Eastern Express Highway must remain on this highway, while such vehicles heading from the Western Express Highway towards the JVLR will be diverted to continue along the highway.
In central Mumbai, where massive crowds gather in the Lalbaug and Kalachowki areas, round-the-clock parking bans have been enforced on major arterial roads, including Dr B A Road (south-bound) from Comrade Krishna Desai Chowk (Bharat Mata Junction) to Hansraj Rathod Chowk (Bawla Compound Junction), and Dr B A Road (north-bound) – from Hansraj Rathod Chowk (Bawla Compound Junction) to Comrade Krishna Desai Chowk (Bharat Mata Junction).
Motorists have been advised to plan their travel in advance, follow posted diversion signage, and utilise designated public transit options to avoid delays.
(PTI News)
