The Siliguri Metropolitan Police (SMP) has made elaborate security arrangements to ensure peaceful Durga Puja celebrations this year. Hundreds of policemen will be deputed, while a drone will monitor the movement of people in the town.

Siliguri police chief Gaurav Sharma today said detailed security and traffic arrangements had been made. “We have drawn up comprehensive security and traffic arrangements for peaceful Durga Puja celebrations this year. There will be 300 officers, 900 other police personnel, including civic volunteers, 700 additional home guards, 50 mobile vans will be on round-the-clock movement to prevent any untoward incident.

Eighteen police assistance booths have been set up. In order to supervise the entire system, four officers in the ranks of deputy commissioner of police with an additional deputy commissioner of police will be deputed. There will be 13 more assistant commissioners of police. They will keep vigil round the clock,” Mr Sharma said.

A total of 618 Durga Pujas will be held this year under the SMP, of which 18 are big-budget ones. The drone will hover in the skies for five days to capture moving images. A group of trained personnel will control its flight. Police said it will help police take immediate action if needed.

Plainclothes teams of officers from the detective department and the special operations group will be on the roads to keep an eye on crowded areas to ensure that miscreants do not conduct any snatching and eve-teasing.

Women police squads, both plainclothes and uniformed, will be deputed in different areas. “We are in close touch with our sister agencies, border guarding forces, railways, our counterparts in neighbouring districts, and transport authorities for quick response,” Mr Sharma said, adding that police had upgraded the 100- dial system to properly address problems of callers.

A digital map will also be introduced, which will have locations of puja pandals, police stations, hospitals, traffic restrictions, restaurants and others. Meanwhile, the SMP, in collaboration with the tourism department, unveiled the ‘Puja Guide Map-2021’ today.

Traffic restrictions for buses, lorries, four-wheelers and two-wheelers have come into effect today, and it will be in place till 17 October. Prominent Durga Puja pandals, timings and routes of the traffic restrictions, emergency
and important telephone numbers of the police control room, traffic police control room, fire brigade, West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, location of police assistance booths, contact details of government
tourist lodges in north Bengal and tourist information centres have been mentioned in the map.

On the other hand, the chairman of the board of administrators of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation Gautam Deb, who was present in the programme, reactivated the playing of music and important announcements at eight
traffic points.