HIGH VIGIL IN FESTIVE CITY

“No,I don’t get bored holding such a heavy gun,” Bansode said. “Our job is keep watch on every person who moves near the Ganesh pandal and we are doing that,” Thorat said.

Bansode and Thorat are not the only ones keeping guard at Ganesh pandals; nearly 4,000 Ganesh pandals in the city have been provided with security. Not every mandal has got two constables,though. A cluster of three,four or five mandals,which are within earshot distance,have what police officers describe as a well-equipped constable to ward off any security threat.

The Ganesh Festival that took off on Saturday is witnessing a heightened security cover,especially following reports that two terrorists have sneaked into Mumbai. Police Commissioner Meeran Borwankar has issued a red alert,following which the police carry out combing operations and nakabandi exercises at several key spots across the city,Pimpri-Chinchwad and Hinjewadi. Hotel,lodges,bus stands,railway stations and cinema theatres are being scanned. Last year,the initial days of the festival had seen fewer crowds owing to the swine flu outbreak,but this year citizens are arriving in droves right from the start.

Joint Commissioner of Police Ashok Dhivre said the entire force was on high alert. “The red alert will continue to ensure a peaceful Ganesh Festival.” He said combing operations were on at several public places. As many as 74 police inspectors,178 sub inspectors and 2,078 constables are on bandobast duty. The coordination work is being handled by four additional commissioners,nine deputy commissioners and 20 assistant commissioners. As many as 11 platoons of the SRPF and four Quick Response Teams are also on duty. Nearly 645 homeguards are also deployed. The Bomb Disposal and Detection Squad is on standby.

Assistant commissioner of police (crime) Prabhakar Patil said,“All those who are habitual criminals and known to create trouble are being rounded up. They are being produced before courts,which are either debarring them from city limits or directing them to report to nearest police stations every day.”

The mandal activists,meanwhile,offer a helping hand to cops. “We provide them water,tea and snacks. These people do a wonderful job,” Ajit Jadhav of Shivajinagar mandal said.