In a bid to ensure public safety, Bengaluru authorities have made wearing masks mandatory and imposed a ban on whistling in public places during New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Meanwhile,the Bengaluru city police have made extensive arrangements ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations today (December 31) and going into the New Year 2025 celebrations (January 1), with as many as 11,000 personnel deployed to maintain law and order across the metro, according to a PTI report.
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Bengaluru Commissioner of Police in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), noted that arrangements have been inspected and the city is ready to welcome the New Year.
A total of 11,830 police personnel, including senior officers along with civil defence staff and others, will be maintaining strict vigilance across the city, monitoring any potential rave parties and drug-related activities.
Police said the government has permitted New Year celebrations only until 1 am, and the public is allowed to conduct celebrations only within the prescribed time limit.
Further, according to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, over 1,000 security cameras have been installed around the city for the same purpose, the report added.
Here is how to avoid crowd crush
To reduce the risk of being involved in a crowd crush, there are several steps you can take. First, plan your journey ahead by avoiding areas likely to experience heavy congestion, PTI reported.
Local authorities often design crowd control measures, such as multiple celebration sites, to help with crowd distribution. If possible, delay your departure until after the fireworks display to avoid the rush toward public transport. Stay alert for signs of overcrowding, such as slow or halted movement, and move towards less crowded areas if necessary.
Pay attention to signals of distress from those around you and help pass on critical information, such as asking the crowd to slow down. Extra care should be taken if you or someone you are with has mobility issues, is shorter, or experiences crowd anxiety.
(With inputs from agencies)