Celebrate New Year in your homes, say Chennai police as 10K cops to keep vigil on December 31

No gatherings will be allowed after 10 pm on Thursday and police plan over 300 checkpoints to limit vehicle flow
All beaches will be closed by 10 pm on New Year's Eve, said Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, Commissioner of Police (File photo | Shiba Prasad Sahu)
All beaches will be closed by 10 pm on New Year's Eve, said Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, Commissioner of Police (File photo | Shiba Prasad Sahu)

CHENNAI: The Chennai police along with cops in surrounding districts have prepared an elaborate plan to keep people from celebrating the New Year at roads, beaches and clubs. The state government has banned celebrations in public places as a preventive measure against COVID-19.

The Chennai police are to set up about 300 checkpoints throughout the city, with most of them concentrated along Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), East Coast Road (ECR), Outer Ring Road, GST and GNT roads where usually youngsters along with racers perform stunts and gather on the roadside at midnight on New Year's Day for celebrations.

The state government's ban includes celebrations at public spaces like roads, beaches, hotels, clubs and resorts on New Year's Eve.

“All beaches will be closed by 10 pm and additional police personnel will be deployed there. People should realise that the government has taken several efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. As we approach the last phase of the pandemic, we should not lose the benefits we have reaped by working hard for the past eight months,” said Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police.

While restaurants can be opened until 11 pm, all other places hosting revelry are to be closed by 10 pm, said the police. Meanwhile, several clubs and hotels along ECR and OMR and in the city limits have started to issue tickets through online platforms, starting the celebrations at 3 pm on Thursday until 10 pm.

Speaking about parties which are usually hosted in private beach houses, a senior police officer said those initiated by families with their relatives can go ahead. “Organising parties or celebrating New Year by selling tickets will not be allowed as it is counted as a public gathering which is a violation,” said the police officer.

The officer added that around 10,000 police personnel would be deployed in Chennai and its suburbs to make sure there are no gatherings and asked people to celebrate the New Year with their families at home.

Owing to the expected bike racers and youngsters thronging the streets with altered motorbikes, important roads will have checkpoints at every two kilometres, said the police. “The checking would start as early as 9 pm, intensify around 10 pm and go on until early morning,” said V Vikraman, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Adyar.

Meanwhile, the Superintendents of Police attached to Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur districts are also setting up checkposts as roads entering these districts are often used as drinking spots.

“We have drafted a plan to deploy as many personnel as possible along the ECR and Chennai-Bengaluru Highway. Now that the Puducherry government has opened beaches and clubs on New Year's Eve, we expect a huge number of people to move towards the Union territory which might cause traffic disruption,” said D Shanmugapriya, Superintendent of Police, Kancheepuram.

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