New Year's Eve: Bengaluru on high alert with 20,000 personnel deployed

Bengaluru: As the city prepares to welcome the New Year, the police have put in place elaborate security arrangements, deploying nearly 20,000 personnel across Bengaluru.

The deployment includes civil police, traffic police, Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), home guards and civil defence volunteers, with a special focus on crowd control and the safety of the public, especially women.

Areas such as M G Road, Koramangala, Indiranagar, Whitefield, Neeladri Road in Electronic City and major malls, which are expected to witness heavy footfall during New Year’s Eve celebrations, will be under heightened security, with traffic restrictions in place.

Police said multiple measures have been implemented, including four control rooms, watch towers at strategic locations for enhanced surveillance, women's help desks, umbrella-based visual indicators to mark safe zones and weather contingencies, and continuous CCTV monitoring.

Addressing a press conference here, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said incidents of nuisance at pubs would be dealt with immediately and that operations at the concerned premises could be halted if required.

Surveillance camera-based facial recognition will be used to identify nuisance-mongers and anti-social elements, he said.

"Facial recognition and AI-enabled cameras, drone surveillance, real-time alerts for overcrowding and abnormal movement, and mobile control rooms have been deployed. Anti-sabotage checks have been intensified," he added.

Singh said that at present there is no specific threat perception, but added that the police could not take any chances and that the anti-terror unit was fully armed and prepared to deal with any eventuality.

The commissioner said drunken driving and wheeling would be strictly monitored, with no crowds allowed in spaces with limited capacity. Entry and exit points would be regulated to prevent overcrowding.

"Dedicated help desks for women will function at major hubs and entry points, with increased deployment of women officers in patrol and response teams. Immediate response teams will address reports of harassment or unsafe situations," he said.

Singh said metro and bus services had been optimised to manage crowd movement and reduce congestion, while new technologies such as a "magic box" mechanism would be used to trace and document violations for swift action.

M G Road Metro station will be closed for both entry and exit from 10 pm on December 31. Trains will halt at the adjacent Trinity and Cubbon Park stations for boarding and deboarding, he said.

According to police, the arrangements include 78 watch towers, 164 women help desks, 55 ambulances and 37 fire tenders. More than 10,000 civil police personnel and over 2,400 traffic police have been deployed, supported by KSRP, home guards and civil defence staff.

Specialised units, including Quick Response Teams, C-SWAT teams, Hoysala and Cobra patrols, will also be deployed at key locations.

Police warned that strict action would be taken against violators to maintain law and order. Hotels and lodges will be subjected to enhanced checks and compliance reviews.

"Vehicular movement will be restricted in certain zones, and clear warnings will be issued through public announcements and signage. App-based cab aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido have been roped in to provide additional services, with a special focus on deploying women drivers," Singh said.

For the first time, police said buses and tempo travellers would be stationed at designated locations to disperse crowds after midnight celebrations.

Joint inspections by senior officers and stakeholders have been conducted to ensure compliance and prompt corrective action.

Recirculation of crowds into key corridors such as Brigade Road will not be permitted to prevent bottlenecks and stampede-like situations, police said.

Entry of all vehicles, except police and emergency service vehicles on duty, will be prohibited on several roads from 8 pm on December 31 to 2 am on January 1, 2026.

The restricted stretches include M G Road from Anil Kumble Circle to the Residency Road junction near Mayo Hall, Brigade Road from Cauvery Emporium junction to Opera junction, and Church Street from the Brigade Road junction to the Museum Road junction.

Police have advised the public to adhere to capacity limits, follow queue systems, report suspicious activity, avoid excessive alcohol consumption in public places and use designated transport options if intoxicated.