Security beefed up in Mumbai

Mumbai, Sept 14 : With the serial bomb blasts in Delhi coming on the eve of Ganpati immersion, Mumbai's biggest annual event, the challenge of providing security to immersions came under fresh focus today as Maharashtra police sounded an alert after the bombings.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Hassan Gafoor said that vigil was stepped up across Mumbai and traffic slowed down as vehicles were checked on arterial roads. Particular attention was being given to areas near the immersion sites. Officials said that a total of 20,000 police along with 1,600 traffic police besides units from the National Security Guard (NSG) and bomb detection and disposal teams are on the streets of Mumbai.

Mumbai police has erected five control rooms and 37 watchtowers across the city to control traffic. They have also installed 81 CCTV cameras along important immersion routes, four of them on the Lalbaugcha Raja route alone.

Main roads leading to the immersion sites of Girgaum chowpatty, Dadar chowpatty, Juhu beach and Versova will remain closed for traffic.

Further, cars without Ganesh idols will not be allowed to enter beaches and firecrackers will not be allowed.

ANI