Mumbai: Over 40K cops deployed for New Year celebrations

Mumbai, Dec 30: Over 40,000 Mumbai police personnel will be deployed to maintain law and order and security during New Year celebrations in the metropolis, an official said on Monday.

These will include personnel from Special Branch (SB), State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), Quick Response Team (QRT), commando unit Force One, and Riot Control Police (RCP), he said. The focus would be on women's safety and curbing the menace of drunken driving and revelry, an official said.

"Patrolling will be intense at beaches in Girgaum, Mahim, Versova, Madh, Gorai and Juhu Chowpatty, as well as places like Marine Drive, Gateway of India and Powai Lake," the official said. He said excise department has allowed authorised establishments to serve liquor till 5am on January 1.

"Our main focus is beaches, parking lots, five-star hotels, pubs and other places where revelers will gather in large numbers. Several specialised teams and policemen in plain clothes, including women safety squads, will keep an eye on every place.

Over 5,000 CCTV cameras will keep an a eye," Pranay Ashok, Deputy Commissioner of Police, (Operations) said. There would be road blocks (nakabandi) at more than 100 locations and traffic police would be out on the streets with breathalysers, police said, adding that all measures, including anti-sabotage ones, were being checked by DCP level officers.

Traffic diversions are in place on several roads like the north-bound arm of NS Road in south Mumbai, Mount Mary Road, Cane Road and St Baptist Road in Bandra, these being no-entry zones from 7pm on December 31 till 6am on the next day. Similarly, south-bound arm of CSMT Road, Mount Mary Road, Cane Road, Pereira Road and St Baptist Road in Bandra will be made one-way for vehicular movement.