As millions of devotees poured out on the roads to bid adieu to Lord Ganesh on Sunday, Mumbai police heaved a sigh of relief at the end of the day as no untoward incident or mishap was reported. Police were on their toes throughout the last 10 days of Ganesh Festival which is always a big challenge in terms of security, and especially so this year as the Eid too fell in the same period this time. However, at the end, the force acquitted itself well.
"There wasn't any untoward incident. Nobody was injured, during the immersion (which in Mumbai mostly happens on beaches)," said DCP M Dahikar.
Police had deployed several teams at major immersion sites like Girgaum Chowpatty, Juhu beach, Powai lake, Dadar, Madh jetty, Marve, added Dahikar. Drones were also used for vigilance, while the Coast Guard helicopters kept watch along the beaches.
As many as 35,055 assistant sub-inspectors and constables, 4,500 women constables along with 250 women officers, 1,000 State Reserve Police Force jawans and 250 ITBP personnels were on the streets today, the final day of the festival. To ensure smooth vehicular movement on the immersion routes, traffic police closed some 50 roads, while 55 roads were marked as one-way.
Overall, 47,000 security personnel kept vigil during the festival, including the Quick Response Teams, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, State Reserve Police Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force. Several people with criminal antecedents were taken into preventive custody yesterday.
Assisted by sniffer dogs, anti-sabotage checks were also carried out by bomb detection teams on the main procession routes, the DCP said.
