Bhubaneswar, September 16: With thousands of devotees thronging Jatani town to witness the famous Ganesh Puja celebrations, the police have stepped up security arrangements and made crowd management a top priority, Jatani Police Station Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) Stalin Biswal said on Wednesday.

The 10-day Ganesh festival, one of the major religious and cultural celebrations in Jatani, is attracting large crowds this year, particularly with favourable weather conditions. Devotees are visiting various puja mandaps across the town to offer prayers and enjoy a range of cultural programmes and entertainment activities.

According to IIC Stalin Biswal,12 platoons of police personnelhave been deployed across Jatani to maintain law and order and ensure the smooth movement of devotees during the festival.

The security arrangements are being supervised by three Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) of Bhubaneswar, along with four Inspectors-in-Charge (IICs). In addition, more than two dozen Sub-Inspectors (SIs) and around three dozen Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) have been deployed at strategic locations to monitor the situation and manage the large gatherings.

“Crowd management is our priority,” Biswal said, adding that adequate security arrangements have been put in place to ensure the safety of devotees and the peaceful conduct of the festival.

Jatani is witnessing a particularly large turnout this year as people from nearby areas are also visiting the town to experience the elaborate Ganesh Puja celebrations.

Apart from religious rituals, visitors are turning up in large numbers at the Mina Bazar, opera performances and cultural programmes organised at different locations.

More than 200 Ganesh Puja mandaps have reportedly been set up across Jatani town, making crowd regulation a challenging task for the police and administration.

Police personnel have been deployed at important intersections, near major puja mandaps and other crowded areas to regulate movement and prevent congestion. Officers are also keeping a close watch on the movement of people to ensure that the celebrations remain orderly and incident-free.

With the festival drawing large crowds each day, police officials have urged devotees to cooperate with security personnel and follow crowd-management guidelines to ensure a safe and smooth celebration.