15,000 Chennai police deployed for Kaanum Pongal

CHENNAI: "The Chennai police have made elaborate arrangements for Kaanum Pongal on Thursday, the last day of the four-day Pongal festivities when people are likely to throng tourist attractions in large numbers.

Police officers indicated that nearly 15,000 police personnel, in uniform and plain clothes, will be deployed across the city and Marina Beach, which is expected to see a large crowd on Kaanum Pongal day and will see 5,000 police personnel keeping watch. 

Places like Besant Nagar and Thiruvanmiyur Beach will be given extra police force as a large crowd is expected. In order to ensure the safety of the people taking a bath in the sea, a 3-kilometre fence has been built from M.G.R Memorial to the Lighthouse.  

Speaking to the media about the Kaanum Pongal arrangements on Marina Beach, East Zone Joint Commissioner Balakrishnan said, “Two temporary police control rooms, as well as 12 MAY I HELP YOU? police booths have been set up to help people on Thursday at Marina. Two security towers have been erected on the beach and two ambulances will be in place near the beach.

Children visiting the beaches on Kaanum Pongal day will be given hand bands with details of their parents and phone numbers. The hand bands will be given at the police booths situated near Labour Statue, Gandhi Statue and Besant Nagar beach. This will ensure the safe return of children to their families if they go missing in the crowd, he added. 

Mounted police and all-terrain vehicles will be making regular rounds for crowd control and prevention of crimes. The police also advised people not to venture into the sea, but they are ready with at least 100 divers and swimmers, who can handle emergencies in the sea.

Besant Nagar Beach too will have one security tower, an ambulance and 25 swimmers in place to handle an emergency situation. The police have also made special traffic arrangements on Kamaraj Salai near the Marina Beach in view of a large gathering. Though the police are planning to allow normal traffic flow on Kamaraj Salai for as long as possible, they may make it one way if there is a possibility of a large crowd.

‘Police Pongal’ celebrated to reach out to Nilgiris tribals
Police here in the hills celebrated what can be called ‘Police Pongal’ both on Tuesday and Wednesday to reach out to tribals in the deep woods to utilise the festival to strengthen their rapport with them, solicit their whole-hearted co-operation and friendship and fortify jungle intelligence to effectively tackle Maoist and other related issues in and around the forests.

On the instructions of the SP of the Nilgiris, T. Shanmughapriya, police officials visited tribal  and jungle hamlets in Bellathikambai, Indira Colony, Kurumbarpadi, Karukkapaali, Vatchi kolli, Nayvalankolli, Somanvayal, Kottaka davu, Marambilavu, Kada sanakolli, Aachak arai, Kannanvayal, Semba gapaali, Pordu colony, to celebrate Pongal with the tribals and jungle dwellers.

They distributed gifts, sweets and sugarcane to the residents here, prepared pongal and served this to them. They also held pongal-related village sports. ‘This is an attempt to build confidence among tribals and other jungle dwellers, make an attempt to help them join the national mainstream and keep good relations with the police,” a police officer explained.