Chennai: A total of one lakh police personnel, including home guards, will be deployed on security duty across Tamil Nadu, Director General Police C.Sylendra Babu said.
In an advisory here today, he said “from the evening of December 31 (tomorrow), 90,000 police personnel and 10,000 home guards will be on duty and vehicle checks will be intensified across the State”.
He said new year celebrations would not be allowed in public after 1 a.m. on January 1 and appealed to the public to avoid gathering in public places or roads on the night of December 31.
Public should not venture into the sea on the beaches for celebrations on the New Year’s Eve as well as New Year’s Day.
The DGP said those who drink and drive would be arrested and their vehicles seized. To reduce the fatalities on roads, action would be taken against those who indulge in rash
and negligent driving.
Police teams in CCTV fitted patrol vehicles will patrol across the state and barricades will be erected at all vital places to avoid rash driving.
All places of worship, including temples, churches and mosques, had been provided with adequate security. Those who create any confusion would be arrested. In Chennai, 16,000 police personnel and 1,500 Home Guards will be deployed on security duty.
Chennai City Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal said elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure incident-free New Year eve.
Apart from deployment of 16,000 police personne, more than 350 teams will check vehicles at vantage points across the city from tomorrow night,” he said.
Security will be tightened and the Kamarajar Salai on the arterial Marina Beach front will be closed for traffic from 8.00 PM as lakhs of revellers are expected to throng the beach to usher in the New Year this year after two years of muted celebrations due to COVID pandemic when the beach fronts were made out of bounds for public.
Jiwal said 25 mobile road safety teams will be on the rounds and 25 more surveillance teams have been formed to prevent illegal racing by motorcyclists.
Over 100 places of worship would be provided with adequate security, he said.
“We will aim to make it zero fatality New Year’s eve”, he said, and urged the revellers not to indulge in drunken driving and warned that appropriate action would be taken against them.
He also said efforts would be made to ensure the safety of women during the celebrations.
The stretch of Kamarajar Salai from War Memorial to Light House would be closed for vehicular traffic from 8 p.m. tomorrow to 6 a.m. on Sunday.
All flyovers would also be closed for vehicular traffic from 10 p.m. tomorrow.
To prevent revellers from entering the sea front, mounted police, policemen on all-terrain vehicles and Marina beach lifeguards would patrol the seashore to prevent drowning.
Drones with night vision cameras would also be used to nab unruly revellers, Jiwal said.
Members of the public will not permitted to enter sandy areas or roads off Marina, Santhome, Elliot’s, Neelankarai, Palavakkam, Kasimedu and Thiruvottriyur beaches from 8 p.m. tomorrow.
Bursting of firecrackers was also prohibited in all public places and residential areas.
Suburban Avadi Police Commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore said over 2,500 police personnel and Home Guards would be deployed on security duty at vital places and places that attract high footfall.
Tambaram Police Commissioner A. Amalraj said over 3,500 police personnel and Home Guards would be deployed for security in the areas under his jurisdiction.
Star hotels, resorts and pubs are advised to stop the sale and supply of liquor and wrap up the celebrations by 1 a.m.
Police also ordered that swimming pools should remain closed between 6 p.m. tomorrow and 6 a.m. on Sunday and should be kept out of bounds for guests.
