20,000 police to be deployed for New Year celebrations in Bengaluru: Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said around 20,000 police personnel and officials will be deployed to man Bengaluru to ensure peaceful New Year celebrations, with authorities expecting over 10 lakh people to gather in various parts of the city.
Precautions have been taken to ensure that the celebrations are peaceful and enjoyable, he said and called on people, especially youth to "celebrate responsibly".
"A crowd of approximately 7-8 lakh people had gathered in different places for New Year celebrations last year, this year more than ten lakh people are expected," Parameshwara said.
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Speaking to reporters after a meeting with police officials, he said the police have identified crowd prone areas such as -- Koramangala, Indira Nagara, Central Business District (CBD) area, and Niladri Road-- for new year celebrations.
Detailing arrangements, he said, "Approximately 20,000 police personnel and officials have been deployed to man the city to ensure that the celebrations are peaceful and happy. The deployment includes 14,000 personnel for Law and Order maintenance, 2,500 personnel for traffic management, 88 Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) platoons, 21 City Armed Reserve (CAR) platoons, 250 cobra bike personnels among others."
The minister said emphasis has been laid on women's safety, crowd management, and advisories have been issued to stakeholders like bars, restaurants, malls, pubs among others.
"Security is also a major focus area, keeping in mind the recent Delhi blast, and necessary preventive measures are being taken, and a watch has been kept on the activities of anti social elements," he said.
Bars and restaurants have been instructed to strictly adhere to time limits with respect to serving liquor and their activities, and the 1 am deadline will be strictly implemented.
Noting that certain new initiatives have been taken, Parameshwara said. QR code consisting of all the necessary information has been distributed to pubs, restaurants, malls and public places among others.
Watch towers, focus lights are being installed in identified areas, also access control facilities and vehicle checkpoints are being set up at various places, he said.
Drone cameras will be deployed for surveillance, along with CCTV cameras in addition to what already exists, also safety shelters are being set up in various places, the Home Minister said. Sufficient ambulances and fire tenders are being positioned at places where crowds gather.
"We have also deployed some 2,500 police to manage the traffic," he said, adding that some buses, cars, and police vehicles have been kept ready, to send stranded people back home in night hours.
For the first time, "heatmap" has been introduced in Bengaluru, which will idenitify places with large crowd in red and relay real-time information to the control or command centre to aid in crowd management, he added.
Meanwhile, officials said 2,854 drunk and driving cases have been registered in the last five days as part of a drive in the run up to New Year.
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MP HC sets up judicial commission to probe water contamination in Indore
Indore (PTI): The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday set up a commission of inquiry comprising a former HC judge to probe the issue of water contamination in city's Bhagirathpura, saying the matter requires probe by an independent, credible authority and "urgent judicial scrutiny".
It also directed the commission to submit an interim report after four weeks from the date of commencement of proceedings.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi constituted the commission while hearing several public interest litigations (PILs) filed simultaneously regarding the deaths of several people in Bhagirathpura due to the consumption of contaminated water.
The HC reserved the order after hearing all the parties during the day, and released it late at night.
The state government on Tuesday told the HC that the deaths of 16 people in Indore's Bhagirathpura area was possibly linked to a month-long outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The government presented an audit report of 23 deaths from the current gastroenteritis epidemic in Bhagirathpura before the bench, suggesting that 16 of these fatalities may have been linked to the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The report, prepared by a committee of five experts from the city's Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, stated that the deaths of four people in Bhagirathpura were unrelated to the outbreak, while no conclusion could be reached regarding the cause of death of three other people in the area.
During the hearing, the high court sought to know from the state government the scientific basis behind its report.
The division bench also expressed surprise at the state government's use of the term "verbal autopsy" in relation to the report, sarcastically stating that it had heard the term for the first time.
The HC expressed concern over the Bhagirathpura case, stating that the situation was "alarming," and noted that cases of people falling ill due to contaminated drinking water have also been reported in Mhow, near Indore.
In its order, the HC said the serious issue concerning contamination of the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura area allegedly resulted in widespread health hazards to residents, including children and elderly persons.
According to the petitioners and media reports, death toll is about 30 till today, but the report depicts only 16 without any basis or record, it said.
It is averred that sewage mixing, leakage in the pipeline, and failure of civic authorities to maintain potable water standards have led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Photographs, medical reports, and complaints submitted to the authorities prima facie indicate a matter requiring urgent judicial scrutiny, the HC said.
"Considering the gravity of the allegation and affecting the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for an independent fact-finding exercise, the Court is of the opinion that the matter requires investigation by an independent, credible authority," it said.
"Accordingly, we appoint Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirathpura, Indore, and its impact on other areas of the city," the HC added.
As per the order, the commission shall inquire into and submit a report on the cause of contamination -- whether the drinking water supplied to Bhagirathpura was contaminated; and the source and nature of contamination (sewage ingress, industrial discharge, pipeline damage etc).
The panel will also probe the number of actual deaths of affected residents on account of contaminated water; find out the nature of disease reported and adequacy of medical response and preventive measures; suggest immediate steps required to ensure safe drinking water as well as long-term infrastructural and monitoring reforms.
It will also identify and fix responsibility upon the officers and officials found prima facie responsible for the Bhagirathpura water contamination incident, and suggest guidelines for compensation to affected residents, particularly vulnerable sections.
The commission shall have powers of a civil court for the purpose of summoning officials and witnesses; calling up records from the government department, hospitals, laboratories and civic bodies; ordering water quality testing through accredited laboratories; conducting spot inspections.
All state authorities involving district administration, Indore Municipal Corporation, public health engineering department and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board shall extend full co-operation and provide records as sought by the commission, it said.
The state government shall provide office space, staff, and logistical support to the commission, it said.
During the hearing in the day, the state government also presented a status report to the court in this matter.
According to reports, a total of 454 patients were admitted to local hospitals during the vomiting and diarrhea outbreak, of whom 441 have been discharged after treatment, and 11 are currently hospitalised.
According to officials, due to a leak in the municipal drinking water pipeline in Bhagirathpura, sewage from a toilet was also mixed in the water.
