Chennai: More than 15,000 police personnel were deployed on security duty in this megapolis in view of ‘Kaanum Pongal’ today, marking the culmination of the four-day Pongal festivities in Tamilnadu.
As per the instructions of Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner A K Viswanathan, apart from physical deployment of police personnel in uniform and in plain clothes, various other measures were put in place to ensure that tight vigil was maintained at all places, including in the famous Marina beach, where hundreds and thousands of people from various parts of the State, congregated.
Over 15,000 police personnel drawn from State police, city Police and Home Guards were on security duty. Police personnel manned the entire stretch of Kamarajar Salai on the Marina beach where a large number
of people visited the Anna, MGR, Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi memorials.
Police sources said apart from drones, all terrain vehicles were deployed at Marina and at Besant Nagar Elliots Beach to patrol the beach front. Police have installed temporary barricades, patrolling by the city’s Mounted Branch and operation of beach buggies were conducted, sources said, adding, policemen had been advised to initiate stern action against people who harass women.
Tamilnadu Fire and Rescue Services officials said more than 50 firemen from various fire stations, equipped with life jackets, were deployed on the city’s beaches as part of accident-prevention measures.
Meanwhile, police sources said, bathing in the sea was banned. Barricades were erected on the sea front to prevent people from entering the sea and policemen mounted on horse back patrolled the seashore.
Caution boards were put up on the seashore warning people to avoid bathing in the sea. Rescue teams were also stationed to rescue people in the event of being swept away by the tidal waves.
A team of fishermen drawn from surrounding areas and a team of 100 trained swimmers, were kept in readiness as lifeguards to handle any emergency.
Loudspeakers and public address system were fitted at strategic points to announce and trace missing children in the push and pull of the crowd. The entire police force was mobilised to maintain strict vigil at Tiruvottiyur, Marina beach, Elliots Beach and Neelangarai where public thronged in large numbers.
Apart from a police control room on the beach front, police assistance booths, ambulances with a medical team were kept in readiness to handle any emergency.
Police have also installed watch towers at vantage points on the beach to monitor the movement of anti-social elements. The city police were assisted by the Coast Guard and Navy in security arrangements.
Apart from the beach front, the Children’s Park at Guindy, the Arignar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur, amusement parks like VGP Golden beach, MGM Dizee World, Kishkinta, Maayajaal and various shopping malls were the preferred destinations for the public. Tight security was provided in all these places, police sources said.
The State Express Transport Corporation and the Chennai Metropolitan Transport Corporation operated additional bus services to all major places where people were expected to throng on the occasion.
The Southern Railway operated additional EMU trains on the Chennai Beach-Chengapattu-Kancheepuram, Chennai Beach-Gummudipoondi and Chennai Central-Arakkonam sections and MRTS trains on the Chennai Beach-Velacherry section to cope up with the expected rush. The Chennai Metro also operated extra trains to meet the additional rush.