Massive security, traffic arrangements in place as Bengaluru prepares for New Year crowds
Bengaluru (PTI): With New Year celebrations expected to draw massive crowds, City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh on Wednesday said elaborate security and traffic arrangements have been put in place here, with nearly 20,000 personnel deployed and a special focus on women’s safety.
The deployment includes personnel from law and order, traffic, crime units, reserve platoons, striking parties, anti-sabotage teams, anti-terror teams, and crime squads, totalling close to 20,000 officers.
"Bengaluru is a vibrant city where people, especially for New Year’s, gather not only from the city but from across the state and the country. We are expecting a crowd of around 10 lakh people, so we are geared up for it," Singh told PTI Videos.
He said extensive arrangements have been made after nearly a month of planning. "I hope everything will pass peacefully," the commissioner added.
Highlighting women’s safety measures, Singh said, "We have given primary importance to women’s safety. Based on experiences from previous years, although incidents were not major, we are not taking any chances and have deployed more women staff."
Women's help desks and shelters have been set up across the city, staffed by female police personnel and equipped with medical facilities and ambulances.
"We have asked bars and pubs to employ women bouncers, and for the first time, we have arranged for a maximum number of women drivers, including cab and motor drivers," Singh said.
Emergency response systems have been strengthened through the Karnataka State Police (KSP) app, KSP Connect for Bengaluru city, and the 112 emergency number, all directly linked to the police control room.
"If there is any emergency, the police are there to help. In case of accidents or urgent needs, the police will assist immediately," he said.
On transport arrangements, Singh said Metro services have been extended up to 3 am, while late-night BMTC buses and tempo travellers have been introduced to facilitate the smooth movement of people after celebrations. "This is to ease crowd movement; public transport will be more available post midnight," he added.
He said all bars, pubs, and establishments will close by 1 am, after which police will ensure safe dispersal of crowds.
Singh said police have conducted an extensive drive against drunken driving, booking nearly 4,000 cases in the past week, and strict checks will continue through the night.
Major crowd clusters include MG Road, Brigade Road, Church Street, Koramangala, Indiranagar, Whitefield, and Electronic City, as well as malls and event venues across the city.
Singh urged citizens to cooperate and "celebrate responsibly", assuring that police will help in emergencies while taking strict action against anti-social activities.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Chamoli hydropower tunnel train collision: 88 injured, magisterial probe ordered
Gopeshwar/Dehradun (PTI): Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar on Wednesday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collision between two loco trains inside the Pipalkoti tunnel of the under-construction Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydropower project, which left 88 people injured.
Earlier in the day, Kumar said that the accident occurred around 8.30 pm on Tuesday at the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) site inside the tunnel being built by THDC (India).
A loco train carrying workers for tunnel excavation during the night shift was about two kilometres inside the tunnel when another loco train coming from the opposite direction lost control and collided with it.
One of the trains had workers and officials on board, while the other carried material.
Upon receiving information about the collision, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered proper treatment for the injured. He spoke to the DM over the phone and instructed him to ensure that all the injured receive the best possible medical facilities.
DM Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjit Singh Panwar met the injured at the Gopeshwar District Hospital.
Kumar said 109 people were on board the loco train at the time of the accident, most of them labourers. None of the injured was serious, he said.
He said that 88 of them were injured, although none of them are in serious condition. They said that 84 workers were discharged after receiving first aid, while four are still hospitalized.
DM Kumar and SP Panwar also inspected the project site and sought detailed information about the incident from the project officials.
They instructed them to strictly implement all necessary safety standards to prevent a recurrence of such an incident in the future.
After inspection, the DM issued orders for a magisterial inquiry into the accident caused by the collision of the loco trains.
Meanwhile, the Railways said the trains involved in the collision had no connection with it.
"It is clarified that this unfortunate incident occurred in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, involving a trolley used in the local transportation system during the construction of a hydroelectric project tunnel. The train referred to in the news reports is not an Indian Railways train, but a transportation system being used locally by the project team," the government entity said in a statement.
According to officials, rail-like vehicles are used to transport workers, employees, and materials for construction work inside the tunnel.
The project, being built between Helang and Pipalkoti on the Alaknanda River, will generate 444 megawatts of electricity through four turbines. The project is targeted for completion by next year.
