Nagpur deploys 3,500 police for Dussehra and Dhammachakra Pravartan Din

Nagpur Police have put in place a large security arrangement in view of Dussehra, Vijayadashami and Dhammachakra Pravartan Din. About 3,500 police personnel will be deployed across the city. Preparations are under way for heavy crowds and simultaneous events at venues ranging from Deekshabhoomi and Dragon Palace in Kamthi to the RSS headquarters and several Ravan Dahan sites.

Police Commissioner Dr Vishwas Nangare Patil is monitoring the preparations. The arrangements include CCTV cameras, surveillance assisted by artificial intelligence (AI), drones, bomb detection teams, dog squads, intelligence units and reserve forces. The aim is to ensure that religious, social and cultural events pass off peacefully, crowds stay under control and traffic keeps moving.

Under the security plan, about 3,500 personnel will be stationed at sensitive spots and large event venues. Senior officers, police inspectors, sub-inspectors and other staff will handle security in their respective areas. State Reserve Police Force personnel, riot control squads and special response teams will also be part of the deployment. Police in plain clothes are reported to be keeping watch for suspicious activity at crowded places. More force can be deployed if needed.

This year, AI technology will be used to examine CCTV footage and identify suspicious activity in crowds. Cameras will cover main roads, public places, entrances to events and other sensitive locations. Police will combine technical surveillance with intelligence inputs and monitoring on the ground. Drones will also be used to watch crowd movement and conditions around large venues, within the limits of permissions and safety rules. Police have made clear that even suspicious activity flagged by technology must be properly verified and investigated.

Lakhs of followers are expected at Deekshabhoomi on Dhammachakra Pravartan Din, from Maharashtra, other parts of the country and abroad. Under the deployment plan, the site will have two deputy commissioners of police, one assistant commissioner of police, 20 police inspectors, 40 sub-inspectors and about 600 personnel. Reserve forces and plain-clothes officers will also be present. Special attention will be paid to entry and exit routes, queues, crowd movement and traffic. Police will also watch key junctions and surrounding areas, including Laxmi Nagar Chowk, Bajaj Nagar Chowk, Kachipura and Mata Kacheri Chowk. The effort is to prevent crowds from building up at the entrances and to let devotees move in and out safely.

Dragon Palace in Kamthi also draws large numbers of followers. About 450 police officers and personnel are planned for the Dragon Palace area. Crowd management, parking, vehicle movement and monitoring of approach routes will be key parts of the plan. Police will also be deployed at Samvidhan Chowk and Nag Lok to watch the movement of people and manage traffic around the events.

Special teams will assist at sensitive locations. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) will carry out checks as required, and the dog squad will help examine suspicious objects. Intelligence personnel will track key information, and coordination will be maintained between the police control room and officers on the spot. The administration has asked people not to touch unattended bags or suspicious objects themselves, and to inform the nearest police officer or the police control room.

Police will also handle security and traffic arrangements around the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during its Vijayadashami event and the related route march. Officers will watch the surrounding roads, monitor the movement of participants and visitors, and coordinate traffic restrictions where necessary. The aim is for this event, too, to pass off peacefully along with the city's other major celebrations.

Under the plan, Ravan Dahan will be held at 64 places in the city, including four each in the Wadi and Pardi areas. Kasturchand Park, Tiranga Chowk, Nandanvan, Darshan Colony, Rajabaksha, Chopde Lawn, Manish Nagar, Manewada and Reshimbagh are also mentioned. Police are also preparing security for the immersion of 835 public Durga idols and for immersions linked to Ghatasthapana at 90 places. Crowd management, traffic control and security deployment will be key parts of the arrangements at immersion sites.

With many events taking place at once, congestion is feared around religious places, gathering spots and main roads. Traffic police will manage vehicle movement at key junctions and near event venues. Traffic may be temporarily diverted where necessary. People have been asked to follow official traffic instructions, not to park needlessly near crowded places, and to check route information before setting out.

Commissioner Nangare Patil and his team are coordinating preparations across the city, and officers and special units have been assigned responsibility for different locations. Police have appealed to people to stay calm, not to spread rumours and to report any suspicious object or activity immediately. Visitors have also been asked to follow officers' instructions at event venues and to be patient in crowds. The administration says that, from Deekshabhoomi, Dragon Palace and the RSS Vijayadashami event to neighbourhood Dussehra celebrations, its first priority across Nagpur is people's safety and a peaceful festival.