By Ira Deshpande
Pune is preparing for Ganeshotsav with a massive security plan. More than 9,000 police personnel will be on duty across the city this year. The festival will see around 3,959 Ganesh mandals and nearly 7.5 lakh households taking part.
In the run-up to the festival, police held a series of meetings with different groups. These included review meetings (82), chowki-level briefings (32), peace committee sessions (60) and women’s vigilance meetings (24). Officers said the focus is on both crowd management and community cooperation.
The deployment includes senior officers, constables, home guards and units from the State Reserve Police Force. Quick Response Teams and bomb squads will also be active. To strengthen safety, police are turning to technology. Thousands of CCTV cameras are connected to a central control room. Mobile vans with surveillance gear, drones, GPS trackers and even anti-drone guns will be used. Artificial intelligence will help analyse video feeds in real time.
Noise levels will be closely monitored. Around 150 calibrated noise meters have been set up across the city. The district collector has allowed special relaxation for loudspeakers. From August 30 to September 4, and again on September 6, music can continue until midnight. On all other days, regular noise rules will apply.
Bars and liquor shops will remain closed on August 27 and September 6. Police have also formed special squads to tackle mobile theft, chain-snatching and to ensure women’s safety in crowded areas. These teams include officers of ACP rank and hundreds of constables.
To avoid overlapping events, officials held talks with religious leaders. An Islamic procession, earlier planned for September 5, has been shifted to September 8.