Festival-centric security plan comes into effect

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 28:The police have implemented a special security plan targeting the festivals of Dashain, Tihar and Chhath in the Kathmandu Valley, deploying around 4,000 personnel.

Primarily, 16 locations will see security teams led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), with each team consisting of 10 personnel. 

A total of 38 teams in plain clothes will be mobilised for information gathering, while 22 teams will be deployed for sealing, searching and monitoring. Additionally, 22 more teams will be positioned for ambushing and surveillance checks.

Furthermore, drones will be used to monitor crowded areas. Key bus stations, ticket counters, ATM booths, jewelry shops, goat markets, temples and busy marketplaces will also be under strict surveillance as part of the security plan.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Chief of the Kathmandu Police Range Basanta Rajaure said that they would intensify security at places where public transport departs from Kathmandu and at areas involved in significant economic activities. 

Valley Police made public its special festive-oriented special security plan by organising a press conference on Friday.

The plan aims to secure the valley residents, economic zones, unoccupied homes, government offices and bustling markets, said SSP Rajaure.

Anticipating potential robbery incidents at banks and financial institutions and crowd-related issues at shops, additional police will be deployed in such locations, he added.

SSP Rajaure further stated that around 3,765 police officers will be deployed during the festivals in the Valley. 

The plan ensures that police will reach any incident site within five minutes and take the situation under control within 30 minutes.

The police have also deployed 76 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to resolve incidents swiftly. Each QRT will have cameras to monitor activities, and these will be supervised from a control room.

Additionally, 24 mobile patrol teams will operate during the festival period. Long-route patrols will be conducted for three days, while short-route patrols will operate for a day to maintain security.

Sniffer dogs, necessary surveillance tools and plain clothes police personnel will also guard the Valley to make the festival peaceful and crime-free, claimed SSP Rajaure.