Detective dept to hit the road; drones, watchtowers to monitor Park St revelry
Times of India | 10 December 2024
12 Kolkata: Once the Christmas carnival on Park Street is inaugurated, revellers arriving at the festive zone in the evening by metro will be able to exit the Park Street metro station from the exit in front of BFL Estate at the Park Street-JL Nehru Road intersection. However, those who want to take the metro from Park Street will have to either walk down to the entrance near Government College of Art & Craft next to Kyd Street or to the Maidan station entrance in front of Kanak Building.
Also, on Christmas Eve, traffic movement on Park Street will be restricted from 11.30-11.45 pm to allow revellers and pedestrians to enjoy unimpeded.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the Christmas carnival on Park Street around Dec 19. Officers at Lalbazar said pedestrian safety will top priority although traffic flow will not be disturbed till late in the evening on Christmas unless a sea of people descend on Park Street and force cops to restrict vehicles.
"With Christmas day right in the middle of the week, we expect a sizeable crowd in the zone surrounding Park Street-Allen Park-Shakespeare Sarani-Middleton Row, along with the usual office crowd. Hence, we cannot allow the crowd to stop at one spot for too long. Neither can cross-moving crowds be allowed," said an officer.
"The total deployment is likely to be slightly more than last year, especially around the Dec 21-22 weekend when we expect a big turnout," said the officer. Out of 3,000 cops to be deployed across the city from Christmas Eve, the majority will be at Park Street and places around it. Detective department officers have been roped in to keep a tab on the crowd surge along with local police, said Lalbazar. "Drones will be deployed for aerial surveillance. Kolkata Police is also setting up around a dozen watchtowers in central Kolkata," said a divisional officer.
The Park Street area will be divided into multiple zones with deputy commissioners in charge of each zone. Women cops will also be deployed. Altogether, 200 police pickets are likely to be arranged at different locations covering churches, metro stations, malls, Alipore zoo, entertainment parks, and other high-footfall zones. Quick Reaction Teams will be strategically placed in these areas. There will be 15 police assistance booths as well.
Police are also gathering information on how shops and restaurants in the zone are preparing for Christmas and year-end crowds. Cops said there was no plan to restrict private parties.
Traffic police personnel will be on the streets to check for drunk driving.
"Anyone found flouting the drunk driving rules will see strict action," said an officer. Both the divisional police and traffic wing will keep teams ready, along with breathalysers, to check motorists coming out of pubs and taking the wheel.