Ahmedabad Rural Police conduct mega mock drill, unveil four-tier security plan for Navratri

With the nine-night Navratri festival set to begin next month, the Ahmedabad Rural District Police have launched a 'Safe Navratri' (Salamat Navratri) campaign and rolled out an elaborate four-tier security plan to ensure that celebrations across the district remain incident-free.

Under the supervision of Superintendent of Police (SP) Ahmedabad Rural, the district will see Navratri festivities at 792 locations this year — including 21 commercial events, 32 public garba grounds and 739 street-level celebrations.

To maintain law and order, the force has mobilised: one SP, four Deputy Superintendents of Police, 20 Police Inspectors, 35 Police Sub-Inspectors, 740 police personnel, 850 home guard and GRD personnel, 40 vehicles, 40 videographers and 23 'She-Teams' tasked with women’s safety.

Four-tier security system

1. Intensive patrolling: Police vehicles, Dial 112 PCR units and bike patrols will maintain a constant presence across all garba venues, food and entertainment hubs and adjoining areas.

2. She-Teams: Plain-clothes women officers will be deployed to prevent harassment and molestation. They will also patrol in private vehicles equipped with breath analysers, cameras and torches to ensure women’s safety in less accessible spots.

3. Traffic regulation: Traffic police and brigade personnel will manage parking and vehicular movement, with special drives against vehicles using black-tinted film. The cyber cell will provide live traffic analysis using Google Maps and heat maps.

 4. Social media monitoring: A dedicated team will track and counter rumours or inflammatory content circulating online to prevent communal tensions.

Mega mock drill

As part of the preparations, the police, fire brigade and 108 emergency medical teams jointly staged a mega mock drill on Sunday at 17 major commercial Navratri venues, including Changodar (3 venues), Sanand (1), Vivekanand Nagar (1) and Bopal (12).

The exercise tested readiness for potential emergencies such as fire, power outages, stampedes, evacuation and medical crises. Organisers, event managers and private security staff were trained in emergency communication protocols and CPR.

Every garba venue will also have a dedicated police help desk, with emergency contact numbers displayed prominently on banners.

Public appeal

The district police have urged organisers and participants to install CCTV cameras, ensure fire-safety measures, report suspicious objects, follow parking rules and refrain from spreading or believing rumours.

Extending festive greetings, the Ahmedabad Rural Police appealed for public cooperation to make Navratri celebrations “safe and memorable” for all.