Bhubaneswar: The Commissioner ate Police has deployed over 60 platoons of personnel each in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to ensure the smooth conduct of Durga Puja festivities, officials said on Monday.

Briefing reporters, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh said 61 platoons, including 20 platoons of home guards and three platoons of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), have been deployed across Bhubaneswar, where 193 Durga Puja pandals have been set up. He said 79 women constables, 172 sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors, 33 inspectors and senior police officers have been engaged for the festivities.

For better supervision and to avoid disputes among puja committees, three DCP-rank officers have been mobilised. In addition to that, plainclothes police personnel have been deployed and CCTV cameras have been installed in all pandals to prevent crimes such as snatching, theft and other anti-social activities, Singh said. A bomb detection and disposal squad and a Special Tactical Unit (STU) have also been positioned in the twin cites to counter any possible terror threats, he said.

The Police Commissioner said drones and AI cameras will be used to monitor the crowd and its movement from the central control room. Fire service teams and a medical unit will be present at traffic police station-1, Bhubaneswar, in case of any emergency, another officer said.