Overview
- Mumbai and other major cities have finalised plans for Anant Chaturdashi, scheduled for Friday, September 25, with Mumbai announcing the deployment of more than 24,000 police personnel to manage processions and crowd control.
- The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has set up more than 383 artificial immersion ponds and is positioning cranes, motorboats, ambulances and observation posts at key sites to handle large idols safely.
- Transport agencies have issued wide traffic curbs and service changes, including Mumbai Traffic Police road closures from 12:00 on September 25 to 06:00 on September 26 and Central Railway running 22 special night suburban services to cope with heavy movement.
- Cities are using layered technology and rescue resources, with Hyderabad integrating over 10,000 CCTVs, deploying about 20,000 police personnel and 24 drones, and Navi Mumbai installing CCTV, drones and nearly 156 artificial ponds to reduce risk at immersion ghats.
- Municipal eco-initiatives and public services include idol-donation and nirmalya-collection schemes, mechanised immersion wells and diver teams, measures that aim to cut water pollution while producing organic fertiliser and shaping how devotees and commuters will travel and worship.