10,000 cops, AI: How Pune is preparing for Ganesh idol immersion tomorrow

“We have held meetings with five Manache Ganpati and other prominent mandals in Pune. 267 Mandals on Laxmi Road, 231 on Tilak Road, 50 mandals on Kumthekar Road, and 79 on Kelkar Road — over 600 Mandals will participate in the main immersion procession in Central Pune. Like I said last year, how long the procession takes to conclude or how fast it concludes is not the key priority for Pune Police. For us, the priority is crowd management, safety of Ganesh devotees and Ganesh mandals, and peaceful conduct of the processions, ” said Kumar.

Anti-drone systems, cameras

The police will monitor feeds from over 3,500 cameras, including those covering immersion points, through the centralised monitoring system. The Faraskhana war room will function as a key coordination centre for the arrangements, with real-time information from across the city helping police teams coordinate their response as the processions move through crowded areas.

The AI-based technology will be used for crowd monitoring and to detect unusual activity, including possible weapons, abandoned objects, violence, and fire or smoke. Facial recognition will help identify people matching criminal records available with the police. The system will also facilitate intelligent video searches and incident detection.

The fixed-camera network will be supplemented by five Mobile Surveillance Vehicles (MSVs) and 19 Mini Surveillance Vehicles. Equipped with high-definition cameras, AI analytics and public-address systems, the vehicles will provide mobile surveillance and transmit live feeds to the central command centre.

“Drone surveillance will provide an aerial layer to the security arrangements. Micro and small-category drones equipped with HD cameras and public address speakers will be used to monitor crowd movement, rooftops and emergencies. At strategic locations, police will also deploy anti-drone systems to detect and counter unauthorised drones over crowded and sensitive areas,” Kumar said.

Live feeds from Metro stations, Wi-Fi networks

The police surveillance network will expand by integrating live feeds from Metro stations, PMC Smart City systems, and Ganapati mandal CCTV networks. This will allow the command structure to monitor movement across a wider area rather than relying only on cameras installed along the main procession routes.

For crowd communication, an IP-based public-address system at more than 250 locations will allow police to issue real-time announcements, provide directions, and communicate emergency instructions.

Technology will also support traffic enforcement. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)-based systems will detect wrong-way driving, triple riding, illegal parking, footpath encroachment, and overspeeding, and alert designated personnel for monitoring and action. Communication between the large number of personnel deployed on the ground will be supported by 100 wireless communication sets and 400 walkie-talkies. Wi-Fi networks will also be established at critical locations to facilitate communication and coordination among police officers and other personnel.

Metal detectors, GPS tracking

As part of anti-sabotage measures, the police will deploy 30 door-frame metal detectors and 100 hand-held metal detectors at important installations, entry points, Ganapati mandals, and procession routes. The police will also deploy around 120 calibrated noise-level meters and one fixed noise-level monitoring station at Alka Chowk to monitor and control noise pollution violations during the festivities.

“Another technology-based measure is GPS tracking of Ganapati mandals, providing real-time information on their location, movement and halts. This will help the police track the progress of processions and coordinate deployment, ” the police commissioner said.

Helpline desk

Trained police personnel will monitor a dedicated 24×7 ‘Dial-112 system’ to respond to emergency calls and conduct 24×7 social media monitoring to identify suspicious activities, threats, misinformation and other potential security concerns and initiate appropriate action.

“The extensive manpower deployment, backed by centralised monitoring, AI analytics, facial recognition, CCTV, drones, mobile surveillance, GPS tracking and multiple communication systems, is aimed at giving the police real-time situational awareness during one of the city’s largest annual public gatherings,” Kumar said.