Pramesh S Jain
A major security push ahead of New Year celebrations, the Karnataka government has deployed around 20,000 police personnel across Bengaluru to ensure law and order and prevent any untoward incidents,Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said on Sunday.
After reviewing security arrangements at the office of the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner with senior police officials,the Home Minister briefed the media on the extensive bandobast measures in place.
Of the total force deployed,14,000 are law and order personnel,2,500 traffic police,88 KSRP platoons,21 CAR units,266 Hoysala patrol vehicles,250 Cobra patrol vehicles,and 400 traffic wardens.
Civil Defence volunteers and Home Guards have also been pressed into service.Water jets will be used wherever required for crowd control.
Last year,over eight lakh people participated in New Year celebrations across the city.This year,authorities expect the number to cross 10 lakh,based on previous experience.
High-footfall areas identified include MG Road, Brigade Road,Indiranagar,Koramangala,and Neeladri Road in Electronic City.
Special arrangements have been made to ensure safe dispersal of crowds.Watchtowers will be installed at sensitive locations,and 180 focus lights will be set up.
Vehicle checks and access control measures are in place,and the public has been urged to alert the police immediately in case of any suspicious activity.
Since taxi availability may be limited late at night,special transport facilities have been arranged at eight locations to help people return home safely.
For enhanced surveillance,temporary CCTV cameras have been installed at 250 locations,ambulances and safety shelters have been deployed,and drone cameras will monitor crowd movement.
Women’s safety and crowd management will receive special attention.
Bar,restaurant and mall owners have already been issued guidelines,and the DGP has released 15-point safety instructions for New Year celebrations.
The Home Minister said AI-based facial recognition cameras are being deployed to identify individuals with criminal backgrounds.Alerts will be generated immediately if such persons are detected.
To curb drunk driving,police have intensified checks over the past five days,registering cases against 2,854 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Heat Map and QR Code System Introduced
For the first time,police have introduced a‘Heat Map’ system,monitored from the Command Centre,to track crowd density.
Areas with very high crowding will be marked in red, moderately crowded zones in yellow, and low-density areas in green.
A QR code-based information system has also been launched to provide real-time updates on traffic, ambulance availability and crowd conditions.
The Home Minister appealed to citizens to celebrate responsibly and urged families to keep track of young members until they return home safely.
‘Rs 58 Crore Drugs Seizure Claim Is False’: Home Minister
Responding to reports of a Rs.58 crore drug seizure,Dr Parameshwara said the claim was far from the truth.He clarified that based on inputs from Maharashtra Police,a joint operation involving Mumbai Police,Bengaluru City Police,the NCB and SOCO teams led to the arrest of an accused in Bengaluru who was found in possession of 4 kg of mephedrone chemical,valued at Rs 1.20 crore (Rs 30 lakh per kg).
He dismissed allegations that Bengaluru Police had failed to act,stating that joint inter-state operations are routinely conducted based on shared intelligence.
Claims about three drug factories being unearthed were also termed false.
The Home Minister warned that strict action would be taken against any officer—whether DCP,ACP or local officials—found responsible for lapses.
“Action will not be limited to suspension alone,”he said, stressing that the fight against drug trafficking is being carried out in a coordinated, national-level effort.
Senior officials present at the meeting included DGP,Dr MA Saleem,Bengaluru Police Commissioner,Seemant Kumar Singh,Joint Commissioners,Ramesh Banoth, Vanshi Krishna,CCB Joint Commissioner,Ajay Hilori, Traffic Joint Commissioner,Karthik Reddy,Joint CP Admin Kuldeep Kumar R Jain, and all Deputy Commissioners of Police were present.
