New Year celebrations in the city were incident-free, thanks to special security arrangements and restrictions put in place ahead on Sunday, the Greater Chennai City Police (GCP) said.
On the orders of City Police Commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore, a total number of 18,000 police personnel and 1,500 Home Guards were deployed to effectively enforce the security arrangements for the new year celebrations.
Mr. Rathore from Sunday night, accompanied by senior police officers, inspected the security arrangements across the Greater Chennai Police limits on Kamarajar Salai, Marina Beach and interacted with the public.
At 12 a.m., the Commissioner cut the New Year cake in the midst of police officials, police personnel and the public near the Labour statue. The police personnel on duty there conveyed their New Year wishes to everyone who had gathered at the spot.
“From Sunday night, due to the intensive surveillance, besides the indefatigable work of the police officers and personnel of the Greater Chennai Police, Law and Order, Crime, Traffic, Armed Reserve, special wings and Tamil Nadu Home Guards, the New Year’s Eve celebrations - 2024 went on peacefully without any incident in the GCP limits,” said Mr. Rathore.
In order to prevent accidents, vehicle racing, rash and dangerous driving, and riding / driving under the influence of alcohol, barricades with LED were put up in 33 places and 140 vehicle check-points were set up in strategic locations by the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP). Also, 100 important junctions were equipped with traffic lights and 78 ambulances stationed at the vantage locations. Furthermore, special camps were conducted at 20 places and motorists involved in traffic violations were educated on the dangers of breaking traffic laws and given appropriate advice with hi-tech tabs and equipment.
On the first day of 2021, three fatal accidents and nine other accidents, totalling 12 cases, were reported. Similarly on January 1, 2022, three fatal accidents and ten other accidents were reported, totalling to 13 cases. In 2023, on the first day, one fatal accident and 11 other accidents, totalling 12 cases, were reported.
The Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic R.Sudhakar said that on this New Year’s eve, no fatal case was reported in the GCTP area and six accident calls were reported during the new year celebrations.
The Director General of Police and Head of Police Force (HoPF) Shankar Jiwal said since the police had made elaborate bandobust arrangements from Sunday night until Monday, New year celebrations were peacefully without any untoward incident across the State.
Mr. Jiwal appreciated all police officers and personnel for their good work to ensure incident-free New Year celebrations.
