Hubballi: The district administration and police have come up with a series of checks for Ganesh Chaturthi to ensure an incident-free festival.
The administration is also trying to curb the spread of Covid since the number of cases is on the rise.
The steps have been taken keeping in mind the communal tension in April over derogatory social media postings, a demand by Hindutva outfits to install a Ganesh idol at Idgah Maidan and stabbing incidents three years back during the festival.
Deputy commissioner Gurudatta Hegde told TOI that we have already conducted meetings with Ganesh mahamandals and other departments to instruct them about some guidelines issued by the district administration for the peaceful celebration.
He said: “We have instructed the Hescom to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the festival in all pandals and during the immersion of Ganesh idols at night time. There should be proper lighting in the pandals, along the route of the procession and near wells where idols will be immersed.”
The police have banned the use of DJs.
The police have been asked to provide adequate security in all sensitive areas and review the condition of existing CCTVs and install new ones by replacing those that are defunct. More than 500 CCTVs will be installed in the district as part of our security arrangements, he said.
“As far as Covid cases are concerned, we have instructed the health department to hold vaccination camps at Ganesh pandals to vaccinate second and precaution doses to eligible persons who come to see the idols in the city. Besides, we will also create awareness through our health workers to maintain social distance and wear masks during their visit to Ganesh pandals, he said.
Sahil Bagla, DCP, law and order said: “We have stepped up security to ensure a peaceful festival. We have identified more than 200 sensitive points in the twin cities where adequate police will be deployed and we are removing defunct CCTVs and installing new CCTVs in collaboration with the HDMC to keep an eye on anti-social elements.”
Festival organisers have been asked to stick to routes mentioned by them in the permission letter for the procession, without changing them. “If any group changes its procession route without our permission, we will take action and deploy police at each pandal and we will also check volunteers in pandals. The organisers have been asked to involve only their volunteers instead of allowing others to maintain it,” Bagla said.
HDMC commissioner Gopal Krishna said: “We are installing CCTVs near all wells and other sensitive areas identified by the police department. We will also repair roads where processions will be taken out.”
The administration is also trying to curb the spread of Covid since the number of cases is on the rise.
The steps have been taken keeping in mind the communal tension in April over derogatory social media postings, a demand by Hindutva outfits to install a Ganesh idol at Idgah Maidan and stabbing incidents three years back during the festival.
Deputy commissioner Gurudatta Hegde told TOI that we have already conducted meetings with Ganesh mahamandals and other departments to instruct them about some guidelines issued by the district administration for the peaceful celebration.
He said: “We have instructed the Hescom to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the festival in all pandals and during the immersion of Ganesh idols at night time. There should be proper lighting in the pandals, along the route of the procession and near wells where idols will be immersed.”
The police have banned the use of DJs.
The police have been asked to provide adequate security in all sensitive areas and review the condition of existing CCTVs and install new ones by replacing those that are defunct. More than 500 CCTVs will be installed in the district as part of our security arrangements, he said.
“As far as Covid cases are concerned, we have instructed the health department to hold vaccination camps at Ganesh pandals to vaccinate second and precaution doses to eligible persons who come to see the idols in the city. Besides, we will also create awareness through our health workers to maintain social distance and wear masks during their visit to Ganesh pandals, he said.
Sahil Bagla, DCP, law and order said: “We have stepped up security to ensure a peaceful festival. We have identified more than 200 sensitive points in the twin cities where adequate police will be deployed and we are removing defunct CCTVs and installing new CCTVs in collaboration with the HDMC to keep an eye on anti-social elements.”
Festival organisers have been asked to stick to routes mentioned by them in the permission letter for the procession, without changing them. “If any group changes its procession route without our permission, we will take action and deploy police at each pandal and we will also check volunteers in pandals. The organisers have been asked to involve only their volunteers instead of allowing others to maintain it,” Bagla said.
HDMC commissioner Gopal Krishna said: “We are installing CCTVs near all wells and other sensitive areas identified by the police department. We will also repair roads where processions will be taken out.”