This Durga Puja, Bhubaneswar Pandals To Have Female Cops In Civilian Clothes To Ensure Women’s Safety

The city is gearing up for one of its grandest festivals, and the police are leaving nothing to chance. With Durga Puja and Dussehra celebrations set to draw massive crowds, Commissioner of Police S. Dev Datta Singh has unveiled a layered security blueprint that prioritises women’s safety, traffic regulation, and crowd control.

Durga Puja 2025: Authorities Gear Up For A Safe Festival

According to The Times Of India, the plan, chalked out in a meeting with puja organisers on Monday, puts plain-clothes police teams at the heart of vigilance. These units will be quietly stationed at some of the busiest hubs like Nayapalli Mandap, Saheed Nagar, Rasulgarh, Old Station Bazaar, Bomikhal, and Baramunda. They will be watching over revellers and ready to step in at the first sign of trouble.

At the core of the strategy lies the High Efficiency Response (HER) squad, a special police unit that will be on 24/7 alert during the festivities. Their mandate is clear: respond instantly to any report of harassment or crimes against women. 

Beyond boots on the ground, technology will play a big role. Control rooms are being set up at major mandaps, and puja committees have been told to install high-resolution CCTV cameras, especially at entry points, approach roads, and crowded stretches. Organisers have also been asked to rope in enough volunteers and private security to keep pandals manageable when footfall peaks.

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Safety Regulations On The Go

Last year, 187 puja committees received permission, and a similar count is expected this time. That means thousands of vehicles pouring into neighbourhoods will already be crammed with pandals. To prevent gridlock, the police have ordered organisers to carve out parking zones in open spaces rather than spill over onto public roads. Wide entry and exit points are also mandatory, both for safety and for smooth crowd movement.

Noise and light regulations have been reinforced. DJ music and laser shows remain banned, in keeping with last year’s directives. Traditional musical instruments have been recommended instead, both at pandals and during immersions. Loudspeakers are capped at 65 decibels, reflecting a move aimed at balancing festivity with responsibility, as stated by The Times Of India.

The checklist goes further. Idols adorned with ornaments must be guarded with CCTV surveillance and private security. Officers in plain clothes will scan crowds for pickpockets, snatchers, and mischief-makers. Every police station has been tasked with ensuring its patch of the city remains crime-free. Organisers, meanwhile, are being pushed to use public address systems to spread safety instructions among visitors.

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Durga Puja in Bhubaneswar is as much about devotion as it is about spectacle and celebration. But this year, it will also be a test of coordination between the police, committees, and the community. If all goes to plan, the goddess will be worshipped in an atmosphere of colour, tradition and safety.

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