Anticipating a heavy turnout of the public at Srirangam and other spots along the Cauvery river to take a holy dip in connection with Aadi Perukku festival on Tuesday, the city Police and fire brigade have braced up for the event to provide security arrangements and to carry out emergency rescue operation.
With ‘Aadi Amavasai’ and ‘Guru Peyarchi’ also falling on Tuesday, the police have made elaborate security measures to deal with the teeming crowds expected at Amma Mandapam bathing ghat and other bathing ghats in the city. In addition to those from the Law and Order wing, personnel from the Traffic and Crime units, besides Home Guards, have also been roped in as part of the security arrangements.
The deployment of police personnel had been doubled this year in view of the three events falling on the same day. Police personnel will be deployed at six spots, including Amma Mandapam bathing ghat, where a large number of people are expected to converge to take a holy dip in the Cauvery and perform the rituals.
ADVERTISEMENT
In addition to Amma Mandapam bathing ghat, police personnel would also be deployed at Geethapuram and Odathurai near Chinthamani. Around 600 police personnel from the Law and Order wing alone would be deployed at the chosen spots along the Cauvery river, said the police sources. Teams from the Traffic Wing had been constituted to regulate traffic movement at Srirangam and other places, besides dedicated crime prevention teams to check offences. Ahead of the event, the city police carried out a security rehearsal at the Amma Mandapam bathing ghat on Monday evening with officers and men briefed about their specific duties. Fire brigade would deploy around 50 of its personnel armed with necessary paraphernalia at six identified locations along the Cauvery river to embark on rescue operations.
Teams of fire fighters would be posted at Amma Mandapam bathing ghat, Chinthamani bathing ghat and Oyyamari area with rubber boats and life jackets, said a senior department official.