Special report| CCTV Made Mandatory for A-C Puja Pandals; Commissionerate Police Warns Outside Gangs

Bhubaneswar:With exactly 240 hours left before the twin cities plunge into celebratory gear, the Commissionerate Police are moving in to dominate the streets.

Over the last couple of years, a changing crimescape marked by public brawls and road rowdyism has challenged local law enforcement.

In response, the CP has engineered a fresh security blueprint, backed by a newly appointed DCP who issued a fierce, direct warning to troublemakers on Wednesday: "We are watching you."

The message from the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police ahead of Durga Puja 2026 is unambiguous: criminals, antisocial elements and organised gangs will have little room to exploit the festive crowds.

From mandatory CCTV surveillance at every puja pandal, including the smallest residential mandaps, to targeted deployment of plainclothes personnel, late-night reinforcements and intelligence-led policing, the police are preparing a multi-layered security grid to keep the streets under their watch.

The scale of the challenge is reflected in the growing number of puja pandals. The twin cities will host 369 Durga Puja pandals this year, up from 360 in 2025 and 314 in 2016. Bhubaneswar accounts for 193 pandals, while Cuttack has 176.

The expansion of the festive footprint, coupled with large crowds, traffic congestion and the potential for criminal activity, has prompted the police to adopt a differentiated security strategy rather than deploy personnel uniformly across all locations.

193 Bhubaneswar Pandals Divided Into Three Security Categories

At the heart of the new security blueprint is a risk-based deployment model that divides Bhubaneswar's 193 pandals into three categories, based on crowd density, security requirements and vulnerability.

Category A: 49 High-Profile Pandals

These include major crowd-pulling locations such as Rasulgarh, Saheed Nagar, Nayapalli and Bomikhal. They will receive intensive security arrangements, including:

• Armed Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs)

• Heavy physical barricading

• Round-the-clock fixed police booths

• Dedicated plainclothes personnel

Category B: 71 Medium-Sized Pandals

These neighbourhood pandals, which attract significant local footfall, will receive:

• Standard police deployment

• Dedicated patrol vehicle rounds

• Local volunteer teams

• Crowd-management and surveillance arrangements

Category C: 73 Smaller Community Pandals

Smaller residential and community mandaps will be covered through:

• Mandatory CCTV surveillance

• Neighbourhood patrolling

• Mobile striking forces

• Police response teams to tackle emerging threats

The classification is intended to match police resources to the security requirements of individual locations. While the largest pandals will receive a substantial physical police presence, smaller residential mandaps will be brought into the surveillance network through CCTV and mobile policing.

Importantly, the CCTV mandate extends to all 193 Bhubaneswar pandals, irrespective of their category. Even the smallest residential locations must install cameras to ensure they do not become blind spots in the security grid.

CCTV Mandatory at Every Pandal, No Minimum Camera Count

The Commissionerate Police have made CCTV installation compulsory at every pandal, shifting the emphasis from the mere presence of cameras to the actual coverage of vulnerable points.

The police are not prescribing a rigid minimum number of cameras for every mandap. Instead, the surveillance arrangement must be tailored to the pandal's layout and ensure that critical areas are covered.

The mandatory CCTV coverage will focus on three strategic locations:

• Entry and exit corridors: Cameras must capture the main entry and exit gates, including queues, to help identify suspicious movement, monitor crowd flow and trace suspects.

• Crowding hotspots: The main stage and assembly area, where devotees gather for darshan, must remain under surveillance to help detect overcrowding and disturbances.

• Outer perimeter and roads: At least one camera should face the public road and immediate parking area, extending surveillance beyond the pandal's internal premises.

For smaller pandals, a basic three-to-four-camera HD setup linked to a digital video recorder may be sufficient, provided it covers the required locations.

Organisers have also been instructed to preserve CCTV footage for at least seven to 10 days, covering the peak festive period until Bhasani, or idol immersion, concludes.

The DVR or NVR equipment must be kept in a secure, lockable room or booth, while a local volunteer should be trained to retrieve footage promptly when requested by a plainclothes officer or a patrolling police team.

The arrangement is designed to make CCTV more than a post-incident investigative tool. With footage available for prompt examination, the police can use visual evidence to identify suspects and support investigations into theft, chain-snatching, harassment and other offences.

150-Plus Platoons to Guard Twin Cities; 7 More for Final Phase

The Commissionerate Police have planned a deployment of more than 150 platoons of police forces across Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, backed by senior officers, specialised units and additional forces for the final phase of the festival.

Bhubaneswar Urban Police District

• More than 80 platoons

• One company of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)

• More than 300 senior officers

• Specialised bomb squads

• High Efficiency Response Squads

Cuttack Urban Police District

• 70 platoons

• Two companies of CAPF

• More than 200 officers

• Anti-terrorist squads on standby

In Bhubaneswar, the deployment will address the city's wider geographical spread, its 193 pandals and the expected late-night movement of visitors along major roads and commercial corridors.

Cuttack's deployment will focus on its dense urban layout, narrow old-city lanes and pandals with valuable silver and gold backdrops.

The additional seven platoons planned for the concluding phase will strengthen security during Ravan Podi and mass Bhasani processions, when large crowds, moving tableaux, loud music and road closures can create potential flashpoints.

24 Chandi Medhas Under Special Asset Protection

Beyond crowd management, the police have identified 24 Chandi Medhas as high-value security locations because of their elaborate silver or gold backdrops and valuable ornaments adorning the deities.

These pandals will receive special asset-protection arrangements, including:

• A visible police presence

• Armed security near sensitive areas

• Focused CCTV surveillance

• Special attention to donation collection points and asset storage locations

The security plan also covers seven Meena Bazars and eight Ravan Podi sites, where large gatherings and concentrated public movement require specialised arrangements.

At Meena Bazars, plainclothes anti-romeo squads will keep watch for harassment, pickpocketing and other offences, while public-address systems will support emergency announcements and crowd management.

At Ravan Podi sites, the focus will be on boundary fencing, fire and disaster management coordination, safety screening and maintaining clear emergency exit routes.

The police are also preparing for the final Bhasani processions, when traffic management and law enforcement will have to operate simultaneously. The movement of large idols through major roads, combined with large groups of revellers, requires coordinated traffic diversions and close monitoring to prevent clashes and public disturbances.

Outside Gangs in Police Crosshairs

The newly appointed DCP, Dr Saravana Vivek M, has issued a direct warning to troublemakers, with particular attention to criminal groups operating from outside Odisha like Banjara gangs, Irani Gangs etc.

The concern is that organised seasonal offenders can take advantage of the large influx of visitors during the festival, blending into crowded pandals, markets and connecting roads to commit theft, chain-snatching and pickpocketing before leaving the city.

Unlike local offenders, whose activities may already be known to police stations, such visiting criminals can be difficult to identify through routine neighbourhood surveillance alone.

The police blueprint therefore places emphasis on intelligence gathering, plainclothes surveillance and monitoring vulnerable entry points, including Bhubaneswar Railway Station, major bus terminals such as Baramunda and budget accommodation facilities.

Coordination with neighbouring states and intelligence agencies is also part of the proposed strategy to identify suspected interstate criminal networks. Plainclothes personnel will be deployed to watch suspicious behaviour in crowded locations, while mobile striking forces will remain available to respond to incidents.

The approach is intended to extend policing beyond the immediate boundaries of individual pandals, covering the routes through which offenders could enter, operate and leave the twin cities.

Post-Midnight Policing and Crime Hotspot Mapping

One of the key operational adjustments in this year's security blueprint is the emphasis on maintaining police vigilance after midnight.

Late-night pandal visits have become an important part of the festive routine for many visitors seeking to avoid daytime congestion. The police are therefore planning to maintain an active presence beyond the traditional evening peak, when crowds may remain on the roads and vulnerable locations could otherwise receive less attention.

Another focus is data-driven vulnerability mapping. Instead of relying exclusively on conventional geographical patrol divisions, the police plan to identify locations that have witnessed criminal activity or security problems during previous festive seasons.

Additional striking forces and plainclothes personnel will be directed towards these identified hotspots, allowing police resources to be concentrated where the risk of trouble is considered higher.

This shift towards targeted policing is intended to improve response times and ensure that vulnerable areas receive attention without unnecessarily diverting forces from other parts of the city.

Forced Chanda: DCP Directs Police Stations to Make Arrests

The security blueprint also takes a firm position against forced donations, commonly known as chanda collection, which can become a source of intimidation and public nuisance during festivals.

The new enforcement instruction calls for police stations to arrest individuals demanding forced subscriptions, moving beyond general warnings and complaint-based responses.

The measure places responsibility on local police stations to act against extortion and intimidation, while also sending a message that festive celebrations cannot be used as a pretext to coerce residents, traders or businesses into making payments.

The police will also deploy plainclothes personnel, including women officers from specialised squads, to monitor public spaces for harassment, eve-teasing, chain-snatching and other offences against women and visitors.

Quick Reaction Teams and mobile striking forces will provide backup in the event of major disturbances, public brawls or security breaches.

Puja Committees to Handle Internal Security; Police to Focus on Crime

A key element of the blueprint is the division of responsibilities between the police and puja committees. While the police retain responsibility for law enforcement, crime prevention and public safety, committees are expected to strengthen security arrangements within their own pandals.

Organisers will be responsible for:

• CCTV installation and surveillance

• Volunteer deployment at entry and exit points

• Crowd-flow management

• Private security for valuable assets

• Fire safety and maintenance of emergency exits

The police, meanwhile, will concentrate on criminal activity, surveillance, intelligence gathering, enforcement and managing crowds and traffic in the surrounding public areas.

This arrangement is intended to reduce the routine logistical burden on police personnel and allow them to focus on offenders, organised gangs and potential disturbances.

However, the responsibility for policing remains with the Commissionerate Police. Volunteers and private guards can assist with surveillance and basic crowd management, but they cannot replace trained officers in handling criminal activity or volatile situations.

From Crowd Control to Proactive Crime Prevention

The Commissionerate Police's preparations reflect an effort to combine conventional festival security with more targeted surveillance and enforcement.

Large-scale deployment, barricading, traffic restrictions and patrolling remain central to the arrangements, but the blueprint also places greater emphasis on CCTV coverage, historical crime hotspots, late-night vigilance and suspected interstate criminal activity.

The Commissioner of Police is responsible for the overarching security direction and coordination with other agencies, while the DCPs translate those instructions into operational deployment, local surveillance and enforcement.

With 369 pandals spread across the twin cities, the challenge is not simply to maintain a visible police presence but to ensure that security arrangements extend to neighbourhood mandaps, crowded roads, markets, high-value installations and immersion routes.

The central test for the Commissionerate Police will be whether the extensive deployment and surveillance network can translate into timely intervention, effective deterrence and swift action against offenders.

The message to criminals and antisocial elements is clear: the festive crowds will not provide a shield against law enforcement, and the police intend to keep the streets under close watch throughout the celebrations.
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