5,000 cops deployed in city to keep vigil on Kali Puja, Diwali

Around 5,000 policemen have been deployed across the city to keep a vigil during the Kali Puja and Diwali celebrations to be held on Sunday, a senior police officer said.

Twenty Quick Response Teams and 13 Heavy Radio Flying Squad (HRFS) vans will be deployed across the metropolis and 12 watchtowers will be set up at strategic locations to keep a vigil, he said.

"We have taken measures to prevent any untoward incident during the festivities. We are more alert as both Kali Puja and Diwali have fallen on the same day," the officer said on Saturday.

He said more CCTVs have been installed at major crossings in the city and patrolling will be intensified besides checking at all entry and exit points in the city.

Also, 10 ambulances and 15 trauma-care ambulances have been kept ready for any exigency, the officer said.

He said action will be taken against people violating Supreme Court order on bursting of firecrackers.

Appealing to people not to burst the 126 varieties of firecrackers banned by the state pollution control board, the officer said, "Bursting any firecracker that produces more than 90 decibel sound within a five metre-radius is prohibited."