One lakh cops to be deployed on duty for New Year Celebrations in Tamil Nadu
Nearly one lakh police personnel, including home guards, will be deployed on security duty across Tamil Nadu in view of the New Year eve celebrations.
Police sources said “from the evening of December 31 (tomorrow), 90,000 police personnel and 10,000 home guards will be on duty and vehicle checks will be intensified across the State.
A police release Chennai City Police Commissioner A Arun held a meeting with senior police officials and said a total of 19,000 policemen, including Inspectors, Sub-Inspectors, Constables, Tamil Nadu Special Police (TSP), besides 1,500 home guards would be deployed in the city to ensure an incident-free celebrations.
Since lakhs of people, like every year, expected to throng the Marina beach front to usher in the New Year, elaborate security arrangements were made on the arterial Kamarajar Salai (Beach road), including setting up check posts, erecting barricades, to prevent bike racing, drunken driving and incidents of eve teasing.
Security has been tightened across the city and 425 vehicle check posts were set up.
Mobile road safety teams will be on the rounds and more surveillance teams have also been formed to prevent illegal racing by motorcyclists.
Enhanced security was also put in place in more than 100 places of worships, including temples, churches, mosques and other religious places.
While public were banned entering the sea for bathing, All Terrain Vehicles were deployed in the Marina, Snthome, Besant Nagar Elliots Beach and Neelangarai beaches.
Police personnel mounted on horsebacks will be monitoring the entire sea shore and police assistance booths were opened as part of tight security measures.
Police would be deploying drone cameras to monitor the movement of anti-social elements in all vital installations in the city and in the beach front where an anti-drowning unit comprising the Tamil Nadu police and Coastal Security Group were kept in readiness to prevent any incidents of drowning in the sea.
Emergency medical teams along with ambulances would be stationed in all important locations and in places where public would congregate in large numbers.
Apart from banning bursting of crackers, police have advised various those in apartments to get prior permission from the police for using loud speakers and those violating it would be strictly punished.
He said new year celebrations would not be allowed in public after 1 a.m. on January one and appealed to the public to avoid gathering in public places or roads on the night of December 31.
Security was tightened and the Kamarajar Salai on the arterial Marina Beach front will be closed for traffic from 8.00 PM as lakhs of revellers are expected to throng the beach to usher in the New Year this year.
The stretch of Kamarajar Salai from War Memorial to Light House would be closed for vehicular traffic from 8 p.m. tomorrow to 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
“Tight and elaborate security arrangements were made in all the 12 police districts in the City to ensure peaceful New Year celebrations”, police said