23,000 cops, AI cameras, drones to secure Mumbai’s Anant Chaturdashi on Friday

With lakhs of devotees expected to take part in Ganpati visarjan on Anant Chaturdashi on September 25, the Mumbai Police has deployed more than 23,000 personnel and stepped up surveillance with 10,000 CCTV cameras, including AI-enabled systems with facial-recognition technology, at major immersion points across the city.

Drones will also monitor crowd density, with police saying additional forces will be moved to locations that become overcrowded. The police have also coordinated with the Railways and Metro authorities for extended services through the night to help devotees return home and reduce road congestion.

The deployment includes 3,213 police officers, 18,940 police personnel and 1,050 trainees. Six Joint Commissioners of Police, nine Additional Commissioners, 38 Deputy Commissioners and 66 Assistant Commissioners will supervise the arrangements.

“Along with the existing CCTV network, we are using 10,000 cameras at major immersion spots, including advanced AI cameras with facial-recognition technology. Drones will also be used to monitor crowd density. If a particular location becomes overcrowded, additional forces will be mobilised as required,” said Joint Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Sharma.

AI-enabled cameras will be used at major immersion locations including Girgaon, Juhu, Bandra, Versova, Powai and Madh-Marve. The city police control room and five regional control rooms will monitor the situation, while temporary control rooms have been set up at major immersion points.

Specialised units, including the Rapid Action Force, State Reserve Police Force, Force One, Quick Response Teams, riot-control teams, Delta and Combat teams, and the Anti-Drone Squad, have also been deployed at sensitive locations.

Home Guards will assist the police. Mumbai has around 7,000 household Ganpati idols and 9,000 mandals, including 132 major pandals. The civic authorities have made arrangements at 341 immersion ponds, both natural and artificial.

Traffic police will also be deployed in large numbers, with more than 3,500 personnel, including around 250 officers, assigned to regulate traffic along major procession routes and around immersion points. “Ensuring the safety of women, girls and senior citizens, as well as devotees visiting crowded public places, will be the top priority of the traffic police during the immersion processions,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satya Narayan Chaudhary.

The movement of heavy vehicles will be restricted in Mumbai on Anant Chaturdashi. Parking arrangements have been made at the BPT ground and other designated grounds. Manish Kumar Pathak is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai.

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