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By  Sunita

Pune: The Ganpati Festival begins on Saturday (September 7). The Pune police have tightened security across the city and in suburbs. As many as 7,000 police personnel will be deployed during the fest.

The police have planned security considering sabotage, untoward incidents, etc. Under the guidance of Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar, Joint CP Ranjan Kumar Sharma, DCP G Shridhar has prepared the security plan. Considering huge crowds in the heart of the city, security has been planned. Plainclothes will be deployed to check mobile phone thefts, jewellery thefts and any such incidents.

The police personnel will include 5,000 police personnel and officers, Rapid Action Force, Crime Branch squads, police personnel joining from outside the city, Home Guards and Central Security Force teams. Help will also be sought from Police Mitra. Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads will scan crowded areas around Manache Ganpati. This will be done with the help of sniffer dogs four times every day.

1,800 CCTV cameras to keep watch

Around 1,800 CCTV cameras will keep watch on crowds across the city. The police have instructed Ganesh mandals to install CCTVs on their premises. People from across the country will visit the city during the festival, foreigners will also come in large numbers. In this backdrop, preventive action has been taken against criminals.

Road Romeos will be paraded

Incidents like mobile phone thefts, jewellery thefts take place during Ganeshotsav. Security will be tightened in the heart of the city to curb such events. Photos of Road Romeos, , who tease and harass women, will be displayed at major chowks. CP Kumar has warned that Road Romeos will also be paraded.

Help centre for devotees

Around 18 police help centres will be set up in the heart of the city. They will function 24X7. Personnel from local police stations, Special Branch, Crime Branch and Traffic Division will be stationed at these centres. RAF jawans will be deployed at six heavily crowded places. They will watch from towers, said CP Amitesh Kumar.