In a proactive move to ensure peaceful and seamless celebrations during the upcoming Durga Puja festival, the Bhubaneswar Police Administration has significantly tightened security measures across the capital city.
Addressing a press conference, Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh (Sarabana Vivek M) outlined the multi-tiered security blueprint finalised for the festive period. To streamline crowd management and security arrangements, all 195 registered Puja pandals across Bhubaneswar have been categorised into three distinct brackets: Category A, B, and C based on expected footfall and vulnerability assessments.
A primary requirement of this year’s security framework is the installation of CCTV cameras at every Puja mandap. “CCTV coverage is vital for dynamic monitoring and preventing untoward incidents. All Puja committees have agreed to install surveillance units at key vantage points,” stated the DCP.
Beyond technical surveillance, extensive physical security measures will be deployed across high-footfall areas. Officers in plainclothes will be stationed within and around pandals to keep a vigilant eye on anti-social elements, pickpockets, and instances of eve-teasing.
Drawing from security logs and incident reports of previous years, the police have identified sensitive pockets across the city where mobile patrolling and anti-sabotage checks will be intensified. Coordination meetings with Puja organisers and local committees have been successfully concluded, with community leaders promising complete cooperation to adhere to the safety guidelines set by the administration.
