Pune police will deploy 7,200 personnel, AI-enabled cameras and surveillance towers across the city for the Ganeshotsav celebrations beginning Monday, with special arrangements planned for crowded festival zones, transport hubs and central Pune markets.
The security plan has been prepared in view of large gatherings and the possibility of disruptive or extremist activities during the festival, according to information provided by senior police officials. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner Sanjay Darade and Additional Commissioners Rajesh Bansode, Manoj Patil, Sanjay Patil and Tejaswi Satpute have overseen the arrangements.
The deployment includes four additional commissioners of police, 14 deputy commissioners, 30 assistant commissioners, 215 police inspectors, 700 police sub-inspectors and 7,200 police personnel. The Home Guard will contribute 1,100 personnel. Rapid Action Force and State Reserve Police Force units will also be deployed, the report said.
Crowd monitoring will be supported by artificial-intelligence-based cameras. Police will establish 20 observation towers at key junctions in central Pune, allowing personnel to monitor crowd movement in some of the city’s busiest public spaces. Police assistance centres will also operate at crowded locations during the celebrations.
The main security focus will include prominent Ganesh mandals, high-footfall areas, markets, metro stations in central Pune and areas around PMPML bus stations. The arrangement places festival security alongside transport management, reflecting the pressure that major public celebrations place on roads, stations and pedestrian areas in the city centre.
A separate deployment will handle traffic planning during the festival. Police have not released a detailed road-diversion plan in the information available, but the dedicated traffic arrangement is intended to manage movement around celebration venues and other congested areas.
Crime Branch teams will patrol crowded areas to prevent offences including mobile-phone and jewellery theft. Special teams will also be deployed to address harassment of women and other incidents in dense crowds. Police officials said strict action would be taken against people involved in unlawful activities.
The arrangements show the scale of the operational challenge facing Pune during Ganeshotsav, when large numbers of people converge on central neighbourhoods, markets and transport nodes. For residents and visitors, the police plan is likely to be most visible through surveillance towers, assistance centres, patrol teams and personnel stationed near major festival and transit locations.
The deployment will remain in place during the festival period, with police, Home Guard, Rapid Action Force and State Reserve Police Force personnel assigned to crowd control, traffic management, surveillance and crime prevention. Further operational instructions will be implemented by the Pune police administration as the celebrations begin.
