Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goa Police is on an alert and has drawn an extensive security plan to maintain strict vigil in view of the Ganesh festival beginning from Monday. While there is no intelligence inputs of possible terror strikes, Deputy Inspector General of Police Paramaditya said they are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the festival passes off peacefully.
“Being a tourist destination, we do not rule out possibility of terror activity in the State and therefore, we are have chalked out elaborate security plan,” he said addressing a press conference on the security arrangements for the annual festival.
The department has also asked the Ganesh mandal organisers to follow strict security guidelines such as installation of CCTV cameras with minimum 15 days storage capacity, deploying private security personnel and volunteers to control and channelise the crowd, proper illumination of the venue, and other preventive measures. “Our patrolling teams as well as police deployment will be around the Ganesh pandals,” the DIG added.
The Goa Police has identified 76 Sarvajanik Ganesh in North Goa and 142 in the South while 24 from North and 27 Ganesh mandals in South are identified as major places that would be given additional security.
During the meeting of the organisers in the respective sub-divisions, the police officers have instructed the former to ensure the venues are fitted with fire fighting equipments. “The fire crackers have to be burnt at a safe distance from the pandal and public movement,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Edwin Gomes informed the committee members of the Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Mandals of Calangute, Saligao and Porvorim during the meeting on Wednesday. The Sub Divisional Police Officers have been directed to hold the meetings with the concerned organisers on the safety measures to be undertaken during the upcoming festival.
Gomes said for the first time, the department has decided to archive the events. “The video recording and the photographic records will help us analyse the trend and movement to take effective steps including enhancement of measures if warranted,” he informed Herald.
Additional armed and reserve police will also be deployed across all the places even as the department has decided to increase security at major immersion points. Besides lifeguards, the coastal police would be deployed at these locations during immersion days.
To thwart anti-social activities such as eve-teasing, thefts, and other criminal activities; the DIG said plain clothed police will be deployed at several points including parking areas. Similarly, traffic police will also be deployed for smooth movement of traffic and avoid traffic violations.
With regards to the leaves of the police personnel, the department has advised its staff to not apply for unnecessary leave other than for the festival during the period.
