Police, organisers gear up for a safe Navratri celebration in Mumbai

Navratri is celebrated with great fervour in Mumbai. On the nine days of the festivities, many small and big events are organised across the city. The major garba events and Durga pandals witness large crowds of devotees of Goddess Durga. To ensure that no untoward incident takes place during these festivities, the Mumbai Police implemented various safety and security measures in the city during the nine days.

Strategic planning with various stakeholders

Senior police personnel from Andheri said that the preparations for the security arrangements begin days before the festival. "Before the festival, the Mumbai Police engage in extensive planning and coordinate with event organisers and local politicians to understand the scale of gatherings and identify potential challenges. We assess the locations where large crowds are expected, such as public grounds, to determine how many cops need to be deployed there. For example, in the suburbs, we work closely with the organisers of the Lokhandwala Durga Pandal in Andheri as it not only witnesses a large footfall of common devotees but is also visited by a large number of celebrities."

Based on the approximate count of devotees anticipated by the pandal/event organisers, the number of personnel deployed there. "Officers are stationed in uniform as well as in plain clothes to nab those who attempt any kind of violation of law. We also ask the organisers to ensure that the premises of the pandals and grounds have enough functional CCTVs," the cop added.

The police and organisers also collaborate with other agencies such as the fire department, civic bodies, hospitals and ambulances to ensure comprehensive safety measures. The fire safety checks are usually done before the festival begins.

At smaller events, such as dandiya programmes in societies, usually, two to three police personnel are deployed. Police also carry out increased night patrols to ensure that revellers can find it safe to go home after the garba and dandiya events.

Guarding the city

Other than ensuring the safety of the public grounds and pandals, the cops also have to ensure that they avert every potential threat in the city during these nine days, as anti-social elements usually target festivals to create communal disturbances in the city.

"More police personnel are deployed in sensitive areas and there is vigilance across Mumbai to ensure that nobody tries to harm the social fabric and communal harmony and peace in the city," the police personnel said.

The police monitor CCTV cameras across the city throughout this period.

During the visarjan of the idols of Goddess Durga on the 10th day, the police resort to vigilance and step up security in the city. If the procession passes through a sensitive area, the cops have to undertake additional precautions to ensure that no communally charged statements are made or music is played. They also have to keep a vigil to ensure that the procession does not face any threat, especially in the backdrop of some stone-pelting incidents reported in Gujarat and Maharashtra during the Ganpati festival processions this month.

Crowd control

To manage the large crowds that gather for Garba events, the police need to establish crowd control protocols. The entry to Garba events is based on passes. The organisers usually issue passes as per the capacity of the ground or the garba event venue. However, the police have to man the large number of crowds sometimes outside the venues.

Barriers are set up to guide attendees and prevent overcrowding in some places.

The police said that they need to ensure that the emergency exits are accessible and the venues follow fire compliance. They also conduct mock drills ahead of Navratri.

At the bigger Durga pandals, the cops have to man the crowds during visits by celebrities.

Manning traffic

The roads near and towards the Garba grounds and pandals lead to heavy traffic congestion, especially during peak hours. Accordingly, the traffic police have to ensure that the vehicular movement is smooth. Some specific routes are designated for vehicles towards the Garba event venues.

Dealing with unforeseen contingencies

During such large events, there is always a possibility of emergencies such as stampede or fire. The police and the pandal and garba events' security also have to draw detailed emergency response plans to ensure that they are prepared to deal with any unforeseen situation. The organisers have to ensure that they have all the permissions in place as well as easy and timely access to medical and disaster management teams. Designated ambulance services are on standby at key locations.

Similarly, during the immersion of the idols of the Goddess too, the police have to ensure that there are no incidents of drowning.

Surveillance

The police resort to technology to upgrade the security measures. As the city is largely covered with CCTV cameras, the cops monitor public spaces, especially around the major venues. They might also use drones to keep a hawk's eye over the city in general and Garba grounds in particular. The cops also monitor social media 24/7 to ensure that there are no posts put up that can lead to any kind of disturbance.

Community engagement

As Mumbai is an extremely populated city, the police tie up with local politicians and community members as well as religious leaders to engage with common citizens during festivals. These stakeholders sometimes help the cops in manning traffic and crowd management and report suspicious activities.

Before the festivities begin, some anti-social elements are extended from the city to prevent crimes and the locals help in informing the police about their activities.

The police personnel from Andheri said that while Mumbaikars celebrate the festival for nine days, the police work round the clock to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. Accordingly, citizens also have been appealed to be vigilant and inform the cops about any suspicious activity in the city. They have also been asked to follow all the rules in place to ensure that the festivities smoothly take place.