Surat: Tight police security has been made in the city to ensure peaceful immersion of idols of Lord Ganesha which marks the conclusion of the 10-day long festival on Sunday. Almost 5,000 police personnel from State Reserve Police (SRP), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Border Security Force (BSF) will ensure security along with 5,000 home guard jawans and officers when over 60,000 Ganesha idols will be immersed in artificial ponds and the sea in and around the city.To assist city police in the security, two inspector generals of police, seven deputy commissioners of police, 15 assistant commissioners of police, 30 police inspectors, 60 police sub-inspectors and 500 police personnel of other ranks have arrived in the city from other places. Police held flag marches in different areas even as deployment of eight companies of SRP, one company of BSF and one company of RAF has been completed.The cops will be assisted by 7,178 friends of police and 5,112 members of hawk-eye programme and they can also depend on existing CCTV camera network. Police have installed 50 additional CCTV cameras and carried out anti-sabotage checking on major routes of the processions.Surat Municipal Corporation has built 22 artificial ponds in different areas of the city for immersion of the idols. The ponds have flood lights, barricades and generators to facilitate immersion. Authorities have also built immersion points at Hazira and Dumas for immersion of idols larger than five feet in the sea. Three cranes have been stationed at Dumas and seven at Hazira.“Police will strictly implement the ban on immersion of idols in the river. People are advised to support police. All arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful immersion,” city police commissioner Satish Sharma said.Police have identified 15 locations where there could be huge crowds.“Up to five feet idols will be immersed in ponds while the bigger ones will have to be immersed only in the sea. Police had encouraged people last year to go to Hazira for immersion and many did go,” Sharma added.

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