Home Minister G Parameshwara.
Credit: DH photo
Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said around 20,000 police personnel and officials will be deployed across Bengaluru to ensure peaceful New Year celebrations, with authorities expecting over 10 lakh people to gather at various locations in the city.
Speaking to reporters after a review meeting with senior police officials, Parameshwara said all necessary precautions have been taken to ensure the celebrations remain safe and orderly. He urged citizens, especially the youth, to “celebrate responsibly.”
“Last year, around 7–8 lakh people gathered at different places for New Year celebrations. This year, we expect the number to cross 10 lakh,” he said.
The police have identified crowd-prone areas such as Koramangala, Indiranagar, the Central Business District (CBD) and Niladri Road as major celebration zones.
Detailing the deployment, Parameshwara said 14,000 personnel will be assigned to law and order duties, 2,500 personnel for traffic management, along with 88 Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) platoons, 21 City Armed Reserve (CAR) platoons, and 250 COBRA bike personnel.
He said special emphasis has been placed on women’s safety and crowd management, with advisories issued to bars, restaurants, pubs and malls. Security measures have also been strengthened in view of the recent Delhi blast, and authorities are keeping a close watch on anti-social elements.
Bars and restaurants have been instructed to strictly follow the 1 am deadline for serving liquor. Several new initiatives have also been introduced, including QR codes with emergency information at public places, watchtowers, focus lights, access control systems, and vehicle checkpoints.
Surveillance will be enhanced through drone cameras and additional CCTV coverage, while safety shelters, ambulances and fire tenders will be stationed at key locations. For the first time, a “heatmap” system will be used to identify crowd build-up in real time and assist the command centre.
Officials also said 2,854 cases of drunk driving have been booked in the last five days as part of the New Year enforcement drive.