Ahmedabad is establishing a massive multi-layered security grid to safeguard revellers during the upcoming nine-day Navratri festival, scheduled from October 11 to 19. Authorities have mapped out an extensive operation that mobilises more than 14,000 police personnel and Home Guard jawans, supported by a network of 4,000 CCTV cameras and AI-driven monitoring systems. Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot stated that around 84 commercial Garba venues are currently awaiting official permissions across the city, alongside an estimated 1,300 street-level and neighbourhood Garba gatherings taking place in local residential sectors.
Centralised Control and AI-Driven Crowd Monitoring
High-density transit zones, major party plots, and event venues are being brought under unified digital watch to maintain order across the urban sprawl. Around 4,000 cameras have been integrated into the centralised CCTV control room to provide live feeds to ground monitoring units. Commercial organisers have also been instructed to deploy their own surveillance equipment, including specialised AI-enabled cameras that continuously track and tally crowd headcounts to prevent dangerous venue overcrowding.
Dedicated Field Units for Women's Safety
Field operations across the city will be overseen by approximately 500 senior officers ranging from police sub-inspectors and inspectors up to assistant commissioners, deputy commissioners, and sector-level leaders. A significant component of the safety framework focuses on protecting women at crowded venues. A specialised 'SHE Team' comprising around 300 female police personnel and officers has been assigned to active patrol duty. To ensure comprehensive coverage, members of this squad will operate in a dual capacity: some will blend into the crowd wearing traditional festive attire, while others in uniform will maintain visible deterrence and provide on-ground assistance.
Digital Surveillance, Substance Checks, and Traffic Protocol
Beyond physical event grounds, a dedicated cyber crime unit alongside a squad titled 'Cyber Rakshak' has been tasked with tracking digital spaces. This team will monitor social media channels in real time to spot and address any unauthorised circulation, manipulation, or offensive sharing of photos and videos featuring women attending festive gatherings.
To maintain venue discipline and eliminate illegal substance consumption, law enforcement teams are instituting strict checking protocols
- Fixed checkpoints have been established across strategic transit routes to intercept lawbreakers and prevent disorderly conduct.
- Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel will utilise anti-narcotics kits, drug detection tools, and breath analysers across key locations.
- Mobile inspection units will screen suspected violations near party plots and major venue corridors.
Authorities have urged all participants and visitors to park their vehicles strictly inside designated lots and adhere to traffic regulations to ensure hassle-free movement throughout the festival period.
