Police impose stringent restrictions for Jamboo Savari and Torch Light Parade

The city police have imposed stringent restrictions for Jamboo Savari and the Torch Light Parade to be held in Mysuru on Thursday.

The restrictions are precautionary measures to avert any untoward incidents and is a fallout of the stampede at Karur in Tamil Nadu on September 27, in which at least 41 people lost their lives.

The police have also sighted the stampede in Bengaluru during the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s victory celebrations in June when 11 persons died as a reminder of the risks posed by large gatherings and the need for stringent measures to manage crowd.

Consequently, entry to the venues for Jamboo Savari and the Torch Light Parade will be strictly restricted to those carrying valid passes.

The police have urged the visitors to park their vehicles only in designated areas. The attention of the public has also been drawn to the practice of watching the proceedings from the rooftop of buildings and this has been flagged as a cause for concern.

Based on the suggestions of experts, the police have prohibited climbing onto rooftops of buildings – some of which are in a dilapidated state – along the procession route. In the run-up to the festival, the city police along with heritage experts, had conducted an inspection of heritage buildings and identified those that were in a decrepit state. These buildings have been cordoned off.

The Commissioner of Police Seema Latkar has urged the public to follow instructions of security personnel deployed on duty, and has emphasised that these measures are precautionary and aimed at preventing untoward incidents.

This year’s Dasara had unprecedented measures following the BJP’s opposition to the invitation extended to writer and International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq, to inaugurate the festival. A unit of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed to conduct route march and the police have roped in 35 KSRP platoons, 15 CAR/DAR platoons, 29 Anti Sabotage Check teams, apart from 1,200 Home Guards.

There will be 33 public address systems with civil police officers on the day of the procession for better crowd management. The public address systems will be at all the entrances of the palace, at K.R. Circle, Ayurvedic College and Hospital Circle, RMC Circle, Highway Circle, and all gates of the Bannimantap Grounds, according to the authorities.